Aug 26,2022

　　Pharmaceutical empty capsules can be divided into two types according to the capsule shell material used: (1) gelatin capsules and (2) empty HPMC capsules.

　　(1) gelatin capsules

　　Hard gelatin capsules or two-piece capsules are solid dosage forms in which one or more pharmaceutical agents and/or inert materials are enclosed within a hard capsule shell consisting of gelatin.

　　In addition to gelatin, hard gels may contain substances such as plasticizers, colorants, water, opacifiers, and preservatives, which can both form capsules and improve their properties by promoting increased bioavailability.

　　Hard gelatin capsules are a modern pharmaceutical solid dosage form derived from the increasing emphasis on pharmacokinetics in drug development today. This greatly expands the range of possible formulations of hard gelatin capsules as a simple dosage form for oral administration.

　　The difference between soft capsules and hard capsules:

　　Although softgels and hard gels have some similarities, they are two different dosage forms. Soft gelatin capsules are available in round, oval, tubular, and other all-in-one formulations, while hard gelatin capsules are only available in cylindrical two-piece capsules.

　　Both soft and hard gelatin capsules use plasticizers, colorants, sugars, etc. as excipients, but the type and/or amount used varies from one dosage form to another. For example, soft gels have a higher ratio of plasticizer to gelatin than hard gels.

　　Benefits of Hard Gelatin Capsules:

　　- Taste and odor masking

　　- Easy to manage

　　- Portability

　　- Rapid drug action

　　- Flexibility in hard gelatin capsule formulation

　　- anti-oxidation

　　- Improve the solubility of poorly soluble drugs

　　( 2) Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsules or HPMC (vegetarian) capsules

　　While animal bones and leather are commonly used in the formulation and manufacture of hard gelatin capsules, there is now a plant-based alternative called HPMC (vegetarian) capsules. These empty shells are filled with active pharmaceutical ingredients in dry or liquid form. If they are filled with powder, they are called dry-filled capsules, and if they are filled with liquids or semi-solids, they may be called liquid-filled capsules.

　　Vegetarian capsules made of cellulose are called hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsules. HPMC Vegetable Capsules (Vegetarian Capsules) is made of natural polymers and fibers and can be called polymer capsules. These polymer capsules can also function as extended-release capsules because of their ability to delay drug release from the capsule shell.

　　Additionally, these HPMC vegetable capsules (hypromellose capsules) are attractive, all-natural solid dosage forms that retain all the benefits of hard capsules; they are easy to swallow, effectively mask taste and odor, and make the product visible.

　　As a result, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) has become a successful alternative to two-piece hard gelatin capsules and is used around the world as a supplement to liquid-filled or dry-filled capsules. Due to their low moisture content, these HPMC (vegetarian) capsules or vegetable capsules offer significant advantages over other solid dosage forms.

　　Future improvements in the production and filling of HPMC capsule shells (hypromellose capsules) and they're in vivo/in vitro dissolution improvements will ensure that they are superior to hard gelatin capsules.

　　Benefits of HPMC capsules:

　　- Easy to digest

　　- Improve bioavailability

　　- cut costs

　　- Reduce cross-linking reaction

　　- Packaging and packaging optimization

　　- No parabens (all natural)

　　- wider customer base