Medical Material
preservative
pre·serv·a·tive [ pri-zur-vuh-tiv ]
Definitions related to pharmaceutical preservatives:
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(preservative) A substance (player) added to a mixture (scoper) to prevent microorganisms (fungi, bacteria) to spoil the mixture.NCI Health Level 7 VocabularyU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2018
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(preservative) An agent added to extend the shelf-life of a formulation (e.g. antibacterial agent; antifungal agent preservative; fungicides; antimicrobial preservative; antiviral agent preservative; viricides; sterilizing agent; glazing agent).U.S. FDA GlossaryU.S. Food & Drug Administration, 2021
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(preservative excipient) Chemicals that are added to drug products to prolong shelf life and maintain sterility. Protection of formulations, especially aqueous solutions, against microbial growth requires use of either antibacterial or antifungal preservatives. Generally, such agents are active against either bacteria or fungi but a few are active against both. The antimicrobials include but not limited to chlorobutanol, benzyl alcohol, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, and phenol. The antioxidizing agents include butylated hydroxytoluene, hydroxyanisole, propyl gallate, and sulfites. The necessary addition of preservatives for both safety and economy sometimes has been associated with significant adverse effects in certain patient populations.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(preservatives, pharmaceutical) Substances added to pharmaceutical preparations to protect them from chemical change or microbial action. They include ANTI-BACTERIAL AGENTS and antioxidants.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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