1. INTRODUCTION:

Diarrhoea is defined as the passage of 3 or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the individual). Frequent passing of formed stools is not diarrhoea, nor is the passing of loose, pasty stools by breastfed babies.

Diarrhoea is usually a symptom of an infection in the intestinal tract, which can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. Infection is spread through contaminated food or drinking-water, or from person-to-person as a result of poor hygiene.

There are 3 clinical types of diarrhoea:

Causes:

· Infection:

Diarrhoea is a symptom of infections caused by a host of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms, most of which are spread by faeces-contaminated water. Infection is more common when there is a shortage of adequate sanitation and hygiene and safe water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Among children under 5 years of age, the most common viral pathogens are rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus and astrovirus. Bacterial pathogens include Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and Campylobacter spp., while parasitic pathogens include Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Entamoeba spp. Rotavirus and E. coli are the most common pathogens among children across all age groups, while parasitic pathogens, are prevalent in children aged 3–5 years. Bacterial pathogens, including E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella, were common in the children age 6 to 10-year age group, as were rotavirus, norovirus, and sapovirus. Location-specific etiologic patterns also need to be considered.

· Malnutrition:

Children who die from diarrhoea often suffer from underlying malnutrition, which makes them more vulnerable to diarrhoea. Each diarrhoeal episode, in turn, makes their malnutrition even worse. Diarrhoea is a leading cause of malnutrition in children under 5 years old.

· Source:

Water contaminated with human faeces, for example from sewage, septic tanks and latrines, is of particular concern. Animal faeces also contain microorganisms that can cause diarrhoea.

· Other causes:

Diarrhoeal disease can also spread from person-to-person, aggravated by poor personal hygiene. Food is another major cause of diarrhoea when it is prepared or stored in unhygienic conditions. Unsafe domestic water storage and handling is also an important risk factor. Fish and seafood from polluted water may also contribute to the disease.¹

Herbal plant products are used as the basis of many scientific treatments for humans. herbal products are not only the most effective, but are extremely non-toxic and have therapeutic doses well below their toxic levels.²

1.1. Aegle marmelos (Beal fruit):

Beal fruit generally known as Bel, Indian Bael, Bengal Quince. It consists of unripe or half unripe fruits of the plant known as Aegle marmelos Corr., Family Rutaceae. Chemically it contains marmelosin (0.5%) which is a furocoumarin. Other coumerins are marmesin, psoralen, umbelliferon. The drug also contains carbohydrates (11-17%) Protein, volatile oil and tannins. the pulp also contains good amount of vitamin C and vitamin A. Two alkaloids O-methylhalifordinol and isopentylhalfordinol have been isolate from the fruit.

Beal is used as digestive, appetizer and also used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery.it is also a tonic.³

1.2. Medicated Candies:

Hard, medicated candies containing Bael fruit (Aegle marmelos) are designed for oral administration to treat diarrhoea and associated gastrointestinal disorders. These candies are formulated with natural ingredients, specifically selected for their therapeutic properties in managing diarrhoea. The increasing interest in plant-based substances and natural medicines is driven by their versatile applications, as medicinal plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds that are integral to both traditional and modern medicinal practices.⁴

As a result, there is a growing demand for products such as "herbal candies," which contain natural ingredients and are safe for use across all age groups. While various dosage forms are currently available in the market, there is a continued need for additional formulations that are both effective and safe, offering therapeutic benefits through both topical and systemic routes of administration. These innovative dosage forms not only provide an alternative to conventional treatments but also address the increasing preference for natural, plant-derived medicines.⁴

2. MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Bael fruit were obtained from Jamner at the local market. Sugar and other additives are obtained from Department of Pharmacognosy of SSJIPER Jamner. and bael fruit was peeled and extracted using a decoction technique (traditional extracted technique).

2.1. Formulation Table:

Table No.1: Formula for Medicated Candy with Variations in Drug excipient concentration.

Sr. No.	Name of ingredients	Use of ingredients	Amount of ingredients(gm)
Sr. No.	Name of ingredients	Use of ingredients	Formula-tion (F1)	Formula-tion (F2)	Formula-tion (F3)
1.	Bael fruit	Anti- diarrhoeal	5gm	5gm	5gm
2.	Citric acid	Preservative	0.15gm	0.15gm	0.15gm
3.	Sugar	Flavouring agent	80gm	85gm	90gm
4.	Distilled water	Vehicle/ Solvent	80ml	80ml	80ml

2.2. Procedure For Making Medicated Candy:^4,5,6

1. Extraction of Bael Fruit: The fruit peel of Aegle marmelos is first removed and then extracted using the decoction method, wherein the peel is boiled in water to obtain the extract.

2. Preparation of Candy Mixture: In a deep-bottomed saucepan, 80 ml of water is combined with the appropriate amount of sugar according to the formulation. The mixture is then heated to a boil.

3. Incorporation of Bael Extract: The extracted Bael juice is gradually added to the boiling mixture with the aid of a spatula, while stirring continuously using a wooden spoon to ensure even distribution.

4. Addition of Additives: A small amount of salt and citric acid (used as a preservative) is then incorporated into the mixture to enhance flavour and stability.

5. Heating to Desired Consistency: The mixture is heated for 10 to 20 minutes, or until it reaches the desired thick consistency, indicating that the candy mixture is ready for moulding.

6. Moulding the Candy: The prepared mixture is carefully poured into pre-prepared candy moulds, which have been sprayed with vegetable oil and dusted with icing sugar to prevent the mixture from sticking.

7. Cooling and Setting: The moulds are placed in a refrigerator to allow the candies to cool and solidify.

8. Storage: Once the candies have cooled and set, they are removed from the moulds and stored in an airtight container at a suitable temperature to maintain their quality and freshness.

3. EVALUATION STUDIES OF POLYHERBAL CANDY:^7,8,9,10

Fig: No.1 Prepared candies

1. Physicochemical parameters:

Traditional medicated candies containing beal fruit were evaluated based on different physicochemical parameters such as colour, odour, taste and pH.

1.1. Colour examination the candies were placed on a watch glass and viewed with the naked eye under white light against a white background. The reddishbrown Colour was observed.⁷

1.2. Odour examination Five different students smelled the formulated candies every 5 times. The time interval between smelling was kept at 5min to deny the effect of previous sections and results were recorded individually.⁷

1.3. Taste examination A taste examination was performed on 5 students. A final formulated candy was given to each student to examine the taste on the tongue.⁷

1.4. Measurement of pH: candies were placed in a 100 ml flask containing 100 ml of distilled water and sonicated for about 15 minutes, then the pH was measured using a digital pH meter of chemistry laboratory.⁷

The results of the Physicochemical parameters are listed in (Table No. 2).⁷

2. Stability Test:

A physical stability test of the Traditional medicated Candies was conducted at various temperature conditions such as 2°C, 25°C and 37°C for 4 weeks. Traditional medicated Candies at different temperatures were found. i.e. 2°C, 25°C, and 37°C were physically stable within 4 weeks. The results of the stability study are listed in (Table No. 3).⁸

3. Weight Uniformity Test: The traditional medicated candy from each formula weighed 10 candies. Calculate the average weight of each candy.⁹

4. Disintegration Time test:

The disintegration time of traditional medicated candy was measured in water at 37°C (approx.to body temp.) according to USP Disintegration test apparatus.⁹

5. Identification test of principle crude drug on the basis of fruit characteristics:¹⁰

5.1. Bael fruit:

· Epicarp- Hard, woody, externally reddish brown, smooth or granular.

· Mesocarp & Endocarp - Consist of pulp which is reddish brown and made up of 10-12 carpels. Each carpel contains several seeds with oblong, fl at, multicellular, woolly white hairs.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

This study investigates the development and evaluation of traditional medicated candies that are not currently available in the market. The formulated polyherbal candies, which incorporate Bael fruit as a key ingredient, exhibited a sweet taste and a distinctive odour characteristic of the Bael fruit and sugar. Throughout the evaluation period, no significant changes in physical properties, such as colour, odour, or taste, were observed, indicating the stability of the product. Based on the comprehensive assessment of all evaluation parameters, it can be concluded that the polyherbal candy was successfully developed using an appropriate formulation and method.

4.1. Physicochemical properties:

Table no.2: Physicochemical properties

Sr. No.	Parameters	Observations
Sr. No.	Parameters	F1	F2	F3
1.	Colour	Redish Brown	Redish Brown	Redish Brown
2.	Odour	Characteristic	Characteristic	Characteristic
3.	Taste	Sweet	Sweet	Sweet
4.	Consistency	Soft	Soft	Soft
5.	pH	2.5	2.5	2.7

4.2. Stability Test.

Table no.3: Stability Test

Time	Temp.	Parameters	Observations
			F1	F2	F3
1^st to 4^th weeks	2°C	Colour	No Change	No Change	No Change
	25°C
	37°C
1^st to 4^th weeks	2°C	Odour	No Change	No Change	No Change
	25°C
	37°C
1^st to 4^th weeks	2°C	Taste	No Change	No Change	No Change
	25°C
	37°C
1^st to 4^th weeks	2°C	consistency	No Change	No Change	No Change
	25°C
	37°C
1^st to 4^th weeks	2°C	pH	2.5	2.5	2.7
	25°C
	37°C
1^st to 4^th weeks	2°C	Stability	Stable	Stable	Stable
	25°C
	37°C

4.3. Weight Uniformity Test

Table no:4: Uniformity Test

Sr. No.	Formulations	Weight variations
Sr. No.	Formulations	(mg)
1.	F1	1920± 22.30
2.	F2	1910± 20.19
3.	F3	1880 ± 21.52

4.4. Disintegration test.

Table no.5: Disintegration test

Sr. No.	Formulation	Disintegration time
Sr. No.	Formulation	(Min)
1.	F1	10:2± 00:10
2.	F2	09:5± 00:12
3.	F3	10:1± 00:11

4.5. Identification test:

Table no.6: Identification test

Sr. No	Test	Observation	Inference
1.	Observation of epicarp	Reddish brown colour	Beal fruit confirmed
2.	Observation of Mesocarp and endocarp	Carpel contains seeds with white hairs.	Beal fruit confirmed

5. CONCLUSION:

In this research, herbal ingredients were selected to develop a dosage form that aligns with the growing demand for natural, plant-based remedies. Traditional herbal drugs are widely recognized for their lower incidence of side effects and greater acceptability among diverse populations, making them a preferred choice for therapeutic applications. Given these advantages, the aim was to create a dosage form that not only utilizes the benefits of herbal ingredients but also ensures broad consumer acceptance.

The study focused on formulating hard candies incorporating Aegle marmelos known for their therapeutic properties. Based on the results of the tests conducted, it can be concluded that the preparation of hard candies using this ingredient is both feasible and effective. All three formulations met the required specifications across various evaluation parameters, including physicochemical properties, stability, and organoleptic characteristics. However, among the three formulations, formulation 1 was particularly favoured due to its optimal sweetness, which contributed to its higher acceptability. This suggests that, while all formulations were viable, formulation 1 provides a balanced combination of therapeutic efficacy and sensory appeal, making it the most promising candidate for further development and potential commercialization.

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Researchers are thankful to laboratory staff, HOD of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacognosy Departments and faculty members of SSJIPER Jamner for technical support and guidance.

7. REFERENCES:

1. Diarrhoeal Disease

2. Sanket R. Vakte et. al. Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Ointment Containing Extracts of Curcuma Longa and Piper Nigrum, International Journal of Food and Nutritional Sciences. 2022; 11(8): 12-18.

3. C.K. Kokate, A.P. Purohit, S.B. Ghokhale: Pharmacognosy, Nirali Prakashan, Pune, 56-Edition-2019.

4. Reena Hood. Formulation development of a herbal candy for altitude of health problems. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 2015

5. Preeti Shulka. Development of herbal candy using ginger essential oil. Postharvest Technology. 2018.

6. Pandey L. Development of Herbal Candy. G.B Pant University of Ag. And Technology. 2006.

7. Neeraj B. Lohagaonkar, Sanket R. Vakte, Yash V. Mahajan. Formulation and In vitro evaluation of Polyherbal Candy based on Indian medicinal plants for the treatment of cough and their stability studies. Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences. 2023; 12(5): 155-159.

8. Depkes RI. Indonesian Pharmacopoeia. Jakarta: Indonesian Ministry of Health. Edition I II- 1979

9. R.M. Mehta. Text Book of Pharmaceutics-I, Vallabh Prakashan 5^th-edition-2014. 267-268

10. Khandelwal K.R, Sethi Vrunda. Practical Pharmacognosy-Techniques and Experiment, Nirali Prakashan, Pune 24-Edition-2014;18(10).

Received on 10.05.2025 Revised on 20.06.2025

Accepted on 28.07.2025 Published on 06.10.2025

Available online from October 13, 2025

Asian J. Pharm. Res. 2025; 15(4):383-386.

DOI: 10.52711/2231-5691.2025.00060

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