Components of Gelatin Capsules

The gelatin capsule is a common method of enclosing medicine that is to be taken orally or used as a suppository. The gelatin dissolves rather quickly in the stomach so that the substance it contained can travel into the bloodstream. These gelatin capsules come in two types: the soft-gel encapsulation and the two-piece gel capsule.

Soft-gel Encapsulation

• Soft-gel capsules are pliable gelatin transports for vitamins and medicines.

  A soft-gel encapsulation is a solidified drop of gelatin filled with a nutritional or medicinal substance. It was patented in 1834. The advantage of this capsule is that it can contain liquid ingredients that cannot be dissolved into completely solid dosage forms such as tablets. In 1949, the American Cyanamid Company updated the technology by deriving a method of inserting powder into this type of gel cap.

Two-piece Gel Capsule

• Two-piece gel capsules can easily be opened by hand to access their powder directly.

  Patented in 1847, the two-piece telescoping gel capsule is used to contain powdered or crystallized dosages of drugs. The capsules are delivered empty to pharmaceutical manufacturers, who fill them with the active ingredients as well as any binders, disintegrants or other agents used to keep the medicine in crystallized form.

Composition of Gelatin Used in Capsules

• Gelatin capsules are typically manufactured from the collagen found in animal skin or bone. Contrary to a commonly held belief, the hooves of horses and other ungulates do not contain the collagen necessary to make gelatin. Vegetable capsules, composed of a cellulose polymer, are also available.