Quality control

The evaluation of cosmetic products has evolved significantly in recent years, driven by the growing demand for safe, effective, and consumer-friendly formulations. Traditional sensory analysis, which relies on human perception of attributes such as texture, fragrance, spreadability, and overall acceptability, continues to play a crucial role in understanding consumer preferences. However, the limitations of subjectivity and variability have encouraged the integration of advanced instrumental techniques. Modern instrumental methods—including rheology, texture analysis, colorimetry, spectroscopy, chromatography, and imaging technologies—provide objective, quantifiable, and reproducible data that complement sensory evaluations. Together, these approaches enable a more comprehensive assessment of cosmetic performance, stability, and consumer satisfaction. This synergistic use of sensory and instrumental methods not only enhances product development and quality control but also supports regulatory compliance and innovation in the cosmetics industry. The paper highlights recent advances, methodological improvements, and the importance of combining instrumental precision with sensory insights for holistic cosmetic evaluation.

To be considered a quality drug, a pharmaceutical tablet must meet specific standards. Key quality criteria for any drug in dosage form include safety, potency, efficacy, stability, patient acceptability, and regulatory compliance. These quality aspects must be established during the product development stage, where physical, chemical, and biological specifications are determined to ensure the product meets quality requirements. Our study aimed to determine and compare the percentage labeled claim, quality, and physicochemical characteristics of different brands of atorvastatin tablets using official and unofficial quality control tests. Atorvastatin, an HMG- CoA reductase inhibitor (statin), is essential for preventing hypercholesterolemia and related diseases. Although cholesterol is crucial in daily bodily functions, it can contribute to atherosclerosis development. We selected five brands of atorvastatin tablets (Atorva 40mg, Aztor 40mg, Lipicure 40mg, Lipikind 40mg, Lipvas 40mg) for analysis. Each sample underwent tests for hardness, friability, weight variation, disintegration, dissolution, and assay according to Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) standards. All brands met the IP limits for hardness (4-8 kg/m2) and also complied with the requirements for weight variation and friability. The disintegration time for all brands was within the 30-minute IP recommendation for film-coated tablets. Each brand exhibited over 85% drug release within 30 minutes, and the content ranged from 90% to 110% of the labeled claim. These findings indicate that all tested atorvastatin brands available in Kerala (Kanjirappally) meet IP quality requirements.

The exposure of nutrients as medicines in the pharmaceutical world is of prior importance and centres the attention of scientists and researchers toward the health benefits. The demand of these products has been found to be spiked and due to this, the nutraceutical market has become a million-dollar industry at a global level. Majority of the chemical components present in nutraceuticals that may possess beneficial health effects are derived from botanical sources, and will be considered to be natural in form. These products can be as diverse as proteins, peptides, lipids, flavonoids and isoflavanoids, polyphenols and tannins. Additionally, vitamins and minerals, sugar molecules such as glucosamine and chondroitin. As a result, interdisciplinary approaches are now been put in an application to design and develop various dosage forms to deliver these herbal products for the treatment of many disorders. In this review article, an attempt to classify all types of nutraceuticals, followed by their management in the treatment of various diseases has been carried out. It is also important to note that the purification, or not, of the nutraceutical from its natural matrix must also be considered as there may be contaminants/impurities/adulterants present that are deleterious to human health, or whose amounts are regulated by legislation (heavy metals, allergens, toxins). These must also be incorporated into a testing regime to ensure the safety of the product end-user.