Page 374 - Pharmacognosy 2 PG303 (1)

Pharmacognosy-2 (PG303) Level 2 Clinical Pharmacy-Pharm D

Beeswax

It is the wax secreted by the wax gland of the worker bees, Apis mellifera (Apidae),
and collected from honeycomb of the hive.

Preparation: Yellow beeswax is prepared by melting the comb under
water, straining, and allowing the wax to solidify in suitable

moulds. The yellow beeswax is bleached with charcoal, chromic
acid, or chlorine to give white beeswax.
Characters: Beeswax is a yellowish-brown or yellowish white solid. It
breaks with granular fracture and a characteristic odour. It is
insoluble in water and cold alcohol, soluble in chloroform.
Constituents: • Myristyl palmitate (80%)
• Cerotic acid = hexacosanoic acid (15%)
• Cerolein (aromatic substance)
Uses: ▪ Preparation of ointments and plasters.
▪ Skin care products (Cold cream, hand cream, balms…...).
▪ Coating of sweets and pills.
▪ Polishing agent

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