When we talk about conservation properly we refer to a drug, or a preparation, treated with preservatives. These preservatives are mainly synthetic, such as BUTYLIDROSSIANISOL (BHA) or BUTYL DROSSITOLUENE (BHT), which are often found in the list of ingredients of different products. They are synthetic antioxidants and prevent processes that must be avoided or prevented, because they could alter the quality of the drug. The conservation, together with the stabilization, is a preventive method, which allows the maintenance over time of the quality of the drug and its derivatives.
The preserving substances prevent especially the oxidation of the active principles or of the structures that constitute the drug. Similar to stabilization, conservation is a method that permanently alters the enzymatic heritage, with irreversible blockage of the degradation phenomena.
We have therefore seen that a drug, to be such, must be dried, freeze-dried, stabilized or treated with preservatives; only in this way the plant, the part of the plant or the animal derivative that constitute it, can be used for health purposes for the formulation of wellness products. If what will become drug is not treated appropriately, then natural derivatives suitable for use for health purposes will not be produced, unless these are to be used fresh, for example for the production of dyes or essential oils. We are therefore talking about technical factors, artificial elements of drug processing that determine the conservation over time and the quality of the drug itself.
Drugs, despite being treated in this way, obviously go against slow degradation and decline of their health activity, and this also applies to all derivative products. Over time, in fact, drugs lose the quality and quantity of active principles that determine their functional use; moreover, while they undergo these phytochemical alterations they also change in appearance, because the degradation of chemical peculiarities goes hand in hand with that of physical structures. Over time, therefore, the drug changes color and consistency, losing those characteristics that belong to it as a drug and that describe it as a product of well-being and health.
As a general rule, if drugs are not used they must always be renewed after one year. But how should they be kept during that year? The technician's task is to keep that drug in the most suitable conditions, so that it can still be kept for a particularly long time, theoretically even longer than 12 months.
The drug must be stored in closed containers made of inert material (which does not interact with the drug) and must be kept in the dark; the containers must therefore be shielded, but above all be as full as possible, in order to reduce natural oxidation phenomena due to the presence of oxygen. Since the drug has been dried, it must be stored in controlled humidity environments; these conditions must be such that the drug and its pharmaceutical quality can be preserved for long periods of time. However, even if the drug has been optimally maintained in quality, after a year the rule wants it to be renewed in any case. Drugs, in fact, can still be subject to alterations, even though the criteria of good preservation and correct hygienic rules have been maintained. Certain drugs can, for example, be attacked by particular fungal, bacterial or animal agents, such as insects; specifically, oil-based drugs (sources of predominantly glyceric mixtures) are often subject to fungal aggression.
