What type of coating utilizes an aqueous sugar solution on tablet surfaces?

The correct answer is sugar coating. This process involves applying layers of an aqueous sugar solution onto the surface of tablets, resulting in a sweet, glossy finish. Sugar coating is traditionally used to improve the taste and appearance of tablets, making them more palatable and easier to swallow.

This process typically involves several stages, including sealing, subcoating, smoothing, coloring, and polishing, ultimately leading to a thicker coating that can significantly enhance the tablet's visual appeal while also protecting it from environmental factors.

In contrast, film coating involves applying a thin polymer-based layer to tablets, providing a protective barrier without the bulk of sugar. Compression coating is a method used in tablet formulation where one material compresses around another, and enteric coating is specifically designed to prevent dissolution in the stomach and ensure that the active ingredient is released in the intestines. Each of these methods serves distinct purposes in pharmaceutical preparation, but sugar coating is characterized by its use of an aqueous sugar solution for surface application.