Herbal oral spray for sore throat: A review

Sore throat is a common condition of the oral cavity associated with pain, burning sensation, difficulty in swallowing, swelling, irritation or discomfort. Meanwhile sore throat is also known as pharyngitis. Sore Throat is caused by staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, streptococcus pyrogen and other pathogenic bacteria while other non-infectious cause of sore throat includes environment allergens, dry air, smoking, pollution.  Conventional treatment such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, and antibiotics like penicillin v, amoxycillin, etc are used, but they often provide only temporary relief and may cause adverse effects like burning, nausea, vomiting, itching etc. Herbal Oral spray offers a promising alternative due to their advantages, including rapid absorption, bypassing hepatic first pass metabolism, improved patient compliance, painless administration, and suitability for both local and systemic delivery. Herbal drugs such as Tulsi, Ginger, Mint, Clove, Aloe vera and Honey etc. possess multiple therapeutic activities including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic and wound-healing properties, making them potential candidates for sore throat management. The oral herbal throat spray has faster absorption as compared to swallowing pills or capsules and hence it is cost effective. Bioavailability of the herbal oral spray is high. These formulations are prepared using diverse techniques including maceration, sterilization, etc.