Common Problems On The Difference Between Plant Hollow Capsules And Gelatin Hollow Capsules

Why are gelatin hollow capsules still commonly used?

The value of gelatin hollow capsules lies in their maturity.

It has been used for a long time in pharmaceuticals, health foods, and nutritional supplements, and its experience in separating, filling, and locking on automatic filling equipment is also more mature. For many conventional powder, granule, and pellet projects, gelatin hollow capsules are relatively easy to balance in terms of cost, machine stability, batch consistency, and supply communication.

There are also areas that need to be confirmed in advance for gelatin capsules.

It belongs to animal derived materials, and when it comes to BSE/TSE, religion, or special market statements, it depends on whether the supplier can provide the corresponding information. Gelatin shells require a certain amount of moisture to maintain flexibility. When stored too dry, they may become brittle, while when stored too wet, they may soften, adhere, or deform.

If there are complex plant extracts or reducing ingredients in the content, or if the finished product is exposed to high temperature and humidity for a long time, attention should also be paid to compatibility and cross-linking risks. This type of problem should be judged together with the observation of content, packaging, storage, and stability.

What projects are HPMC capsules suitable for?

The main film-forming material of HPMC hollow capsules is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, which is not derived from animal collagen, and is therefore commonly used in products targeting plant-based, vegetarian, or non animal sources.

It is often noticed by customers, usually due to these types of needs:

The product aims to highlight its plant-based, non animal based, or vegetarian positioning;

The content is sensitive to moisture, and we hope to reduce the impact of moisture starting from the capsule shell material;

Probiotics, plant extracts, traditional Chinese medicine powders, and some nutritional supplements require further consideration of stability;

Drug projects need to pay attention to the CDE registration of HPMC hollow capsules COA, Quality agreement and supplier audit documentation.

Are plant hollow capsules necessarily better than gelatin hollow capsules?

No. Plant hollow capsules are more suitable for projects that focus on non animal sources, plant source localization, water sensitivity, or differentiated selling points; The application of gelatin hollow capsules is mature and suitable for many conventional drugs, health foods, and nutritional supplements. The actual selection depends on the content, packaging, machine and quality information.

Is HPMC hollow capsule suitable for probiotic products?

HPMC hollow capsules are often of concern for probiotics, plant extracts, and moisture sensitive formulations because they belong to non animal derived routes and are typically more suitable for low moisture direction formulation design. But probiotic products also need to consider oxygen, moisture, packaging, storage temperature, and stability of live bacteria at the same time.

Is gelatin hollow capsule suitable for health food?

fit. Many health food and nutritional supplement projects still use gelatin hollow capsules, especially conventional powders, granules, and mature formulas. If the product has plant-based, vegetarian positioning, special market statements, or moisture sensitive requirements, plant-based capsules such as HPMC and pullulan polysaccharides can be evaluated simultaneously.

What information should be asked first when looking for a manufacturer of plant hollow capsules?

Suggest asking about the product material route, specification range, and whether samples can be provided first COA, Quality standards, CDE registration information, color printing ability, batch traceability, and batch supply coordination. The drug project also needs to further review the quality agreement, change management, and supplier audit materials.