Oct 09,2022

　　About HPMC capsules, there are also introductions on the forum, such as the characteristics and uses of HPMC, as well as related articles.

　　In a word, everyone is talking about the advantages of HPMC capsules, not much to say, there are mainly four aspects: first, it comes from plants, second, it does not transmit diseases of animals; third, it does not violate religion and meets the needs of vegetarian food; fourth, it contains water Low rate, not easily affected by humidity, suitable for filling hygroscopic or moisture-bearing substances; HPMC has good stability and compatibility issues without cross-linking.

　　This is important information to understand HPMC capsules. However, it will be misleading if you only look at this information, because these articles will say too good HPMC capsules for various purposes, and occasionally there will be some wrong guidance. We focus on these issues that are easily overlooked or misguided.

　　(1) Misleading one: high toughness, no brittleness

　　If it is only said that it has high toughness and no brittleness, it can only be said that it is reluctant. But this is a disadvantage when compared to gelatin capsules. Prove it with two points: First, the gelatin capsule has a higher probability than HPMC capsules. Consult the supplier. Even if you say HPMC capsules well, you can't say that this point is better than gelatin: Secondly, gelatin capsules are only in the cap separation process. There will be a phenomenon of deflation, but most of the HPMC capsules are broken or broken. It is clear at a glance which of these properties is better or worse. Personal experience, the quality of capsules from different manufacturers can be felt by hand, with good toughness and softness. Personally, quali-V is better than caps plus.

　　(2) Misleading second: excellent stability

　　The stability is better than that of gelatin capsules and may not stand still. There are indeed some problems with gelatin capsules, that is, the adaptation of gelatin to certain medicines. Having said that, HPMC is not a panacea, and there are some incompatibilities. Can only say that each has advantages and disadvantages.

　　(3) One of the misunderstandings is that only HPMC is a raw material

　　HPMC capsules are also prepared from a variety of materials, and the ingredients are more complex and not single. For example, HPMC, carrageenan, gellan gum, SDS, and other materials are prepared, of course, titanium monoxide is indispensable for shading, pigments are also required for beauty, and there may be some polishing agents.

　　(4) One of the problems that cannot be ignored - the long rupture time and large individual differences

　　Most of the first-generation HPMC capsules cracked between 10 and 30 minutes, which is not suitable for immediate release preparations. For the second-generation caps plus, the cracking time is mostly between 3 and 15 minutes. According to my experiments, it is generally about 4 to 7 minutes in the hydrochloric acid medium, which is slightly faster than other media, but it also often cracks in 8-10 minutes. of. Even the individual differences of the second generation cannot be ignored. Occasionally, there will be a phenomenon of an individual 15min.

　　Of course, the process of HPMC capsules is also continuously optimized, and improving individual differences and increasing the cracking speed is a very important direction.

　　(5) It is easy to ignore the problem - the salt in the dissolution medium

　　Potassium ions in the dissolution medium will combine with the gellan gum in the capsules, reducing the solubility of HPMC capsules, and resulting in delayed disintegration. This is something to be aware of when doing research, as potassium phosphate salts are very common in formulating dissolution media

　　(6) Domestic registration

　　Although these capsules seem to be bad things, in fact, with the advancement of technology, the cost is getting lower and lower, and these problems are solved. However, HPMC capsules are expected to replace gelatin capsules due to their significant advantages in terms of a low safety risk, suitable for Muslim and other markets, and compliance with vegetarian trends.