Sialics and Anti-sialic drugs
Sialogogues (sialics)
Sialogogues are agents that increase the volume of saliva, thereby increasing the appetite and the digestibility of food. Such remedies are used in large animal practice as ‘tonics’.
Increased salivation is obtained by administering substances that stimulate taste buds like the vegetable bitters.
Substances with this type of activity include gentian, quassia and nuxvomica. Increase in salivation is also achieved on administration of parasympathomimetic drugs.
Antisialagogues (antisialics)
Antisialagogues (antisialics) are agents that decrease the volume of salivary secretions. The antisialagogue effect may be required during surgery of the mouth or after excision of salivary cysts.
Parasympatholytic drugs have antisialagogue effect. Atropine and glycopyrrolate are commonly used to reduce secretions as a premedicant during surgery to reduce salivary and bronchial secretions.
Stomachics
Stomachics are agents that increase the tone and function of stomach and increase appetite.
Example of Stomachics: Bitter stomachics such as ginger, gentian, chirata are plant based preparations stimulate the taste buds and reflexly stimulate the stomach.
Prokinetics
Prokinetics are agents that promote gastric motility and thus hasten the process of emptying of the gastric contents into the intestine, because of their ability to evacuate the gastric contents they are of value as antiemetics.
They are also indicated in gastritis, gastric reflux and dyspepsia. They are known to act via 5 HT4 receptors. Examples of prokinetics are Cisapride, metoclopromide, tegeserod etc.