Capsules

A capsule medicine is a stable shell-like structure in which the drugs are enclosed in a limited amount dosage form. The consumption of capsules medicine can be swallowed with water. The capsule works in a way that the outer shell of the capsule gets broken down and the enclosed medicine gets metabolised in the stomach in a similar manner to the tablet. 

Types of Capsules:

There are five types of capsules:

1. Hard Gelatin Capsule
2. Soft Gelatin Capsule
3. HPMC Capsule
4. Pullulan Capsule
5. Enteric Coated Capsule

Hard Gelatin Capsule

• It is a type of capsule composed of gelatin of grade (9000-70-8) and purified water. A protein product named gelatin was found to be a major component of gelatin hard capsules because of its harmless nature. 
• For the transparent capsule, the percentage of gelatin and water in its composition is found to be 85% and 15% respectively. 
• While the percentage of gelatin and water in the opaque capsule is found to be 84% and 15% respectively, along with the percentage of titanium dioxide at 0.5-1.8% and colourants is 0.2-0.5%. 
• Titanium dioxide acted as the opacifier and colourant, which makes the capsule colourful. This type of capsule in pharmacy is found to be inexpensive, edible, and degradable. 
• These types of a capsule with examples are given as Cinobac, Didanosine Methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine. 

Soft Gelatin Capsule

• This is a type of capsule which is approximately similar to the hard gelatin capsule in composition despite the moisture content in the capsule. 
• Plasticizers are also involved in their composition to enhance stability and elasticity. The composition of the soft gelatin capsule involved glycerol (56-81-5), Sorbitol (50-70-4), etc. 
• This type of capsule in pharmacies is a single-piece capsule via a specialised machine and the capsule is filled with the liquid. 
• This type of capsule with examples is given as Calcitriol.

HPMC Capsule

• HPMC capsule is abbreviated as Hydroxypropyl methyl Cellulose of grade (9002-65-3). This type of capsule is composed of HPMC and purified water, in which HPMC was obtained from the hydrolysis of the plant via Etherification. 
• As the HPMC originated from the plants, hence this medicine was certified as a vegetarian capsule. 
• An example of this capsule is Pradaxa.

Pullulan Capsule

• The main components of the pullulan capsule are pullulan and water which was purified. 
• In this composition, Pullulan (9057-02-7) is present and a water-soluble mucopolysaccharide is present. 
• This biological component is found to be a better option for the ideal raw material for the production of the capsule because of its brilliant formation of the film. 
• This type of capsule has extremely low moisture content with good toughness. This type of capsule is filled with sensitive water medication. 

Enteric-coated Capsule 

• The enteric-coated capsule is a special type of capsule medicine which was made by the application of the enteric coating to the common type of capsule
• Just because of the use of raw material, it creates a new category of capsule termed enteric-coated capsule. These types of capsules are used to release the medication into the intestine
• The general principle on which the capsule works was that it can be dissolved with the help of the alkaline liquid inside the intestinal tract
• The material which is used for the enteric coating of the capsule was fatty acids, plastics, waxes, shellac, plant fibres, etc. Among them, the consumption of these materials are harmful for human beings as they contain phthalates
• Therefore, the amount of these materials gets restricted by the legal regulatory authorities
• Examples of this capsule are Protonix, Aciphex and Prilosec

Benefits of Capsules

• It was found that the capsule provides better and more effective relief to the body against the problem as it breaks down quickly and the medicine starts metabolising
• The capsule is prepared so that they easily break down from the joint present in the middle so that they won’t need to be crushed like tablets
• The capsule has higher bioavailability so that it can easily enter the bloodstream, and the drug can be more effective against the problem

Negative effects of capsules

• The capsules were found to be less stable and less reactive to environmental conditions, specifically humidity
• The capsule has an unpleasant taste and odour smell
• Due to the shorter shelf life of the capsule, it expires more quickly than the tablet
• Capsules were found to be the most expensive in comparison to tablets because they contained fluid in them
• Some of the capsules may contain gelatin originating from animals like pigs, cows or fish. Hence, it is most suitable for the consumption of vegans and vegetarians

Conclusion

This article briefly concluded with the insight into the capsule medicine along with the types of the capsule. The different types of capsules in pharmacy include hard gelatin capsule, soft gelatin capsule, enteric-coated capsule, HPMC capsule, and pullulan capsule. The effects like fast-acting capabilities, tasteless, and tamper-resistant are regarded as benefits of medication through capsules. While the effects like shorter shelf-life, less durability and expensive leads to its negative impacts of capsules. This attempt has been made for exploring the role of capsules in the pharmaceutical industry and its benefits and negative impacts towards human beings in an elaborate manner.