Name: Mahmuda Akter Marzia.

ID- 2014151649.
Topic part- 2. Soft and hard capsules.
There are 2 types of capsules which are: 1. Hard gelatin capsule, 2. Soft gelatin capsule.
Both of them belong to the solid dosage of capsules.

Hard gelatin capsule:

Hard capsules, which are more commonly seen, are composed of a rigid shell in two
pieces that fit and lock together and are then crammed with the drug. This dosage form is
often more suitable for drug powders and may only be used if the drug are going to be
easily dissolved within the stomach.
Soft gelatin capsule:
Soft gelatin capsules/soft gels are made from a single piece of gelatin and include oils
such as fish oil, Omega 3,6,9, and Q10, as well as medications that must be dissolved in
oils or other liquids in order to be absorbed in the stomach. In the stomach, the shell of
soft capsules might dissolve in minutes.

What is the difference between a soft gel capsule and a hard gelatin capsule? Instead of
nutrients and supplements, we exclusively refer to solid dosages as drugs or medicines.
I. Filling Content difference:
Soft gel: oils or liquid drugs or suspensions that do not dissolve gelatin as soft gel wrapping
shell.

Hard capsule: herbal material extract, medical powder or auxiliary grains, particles, pellets.
II. Outside shell:
Soft gels have a soft, pliable shell made primarily of gelatin, plasticizer, and water.
Hard capsules: The major component of hard capsules is gelatin.
III. Absorption rate:
Because the shell material is easily broken down, soft gels are relatively easy to absorb (5-
10 minutes). The speedier effect, which is beneficial for pain alleviation right away;
Hard capsules are more difficult to absorb and must spend a long time in the stomach
(about 30-60minutes).

IV. Freshness:
Soft gels should be kept refrigerated because the shell contains more water.
Dry powder, easy to get wet, humidity, and caking are all problems with hard capsules.
V. Appearance:
Soft gels come in a variety of colors and shapes, including colorless, light yellow,
brown-yellow, black, red, and many others. The dosage selection sheet for soft gels is as
follows:

Colorless, single color, double color, half-transparent, half-color, and other hard capsules
are available. However, the shapes are always the same, with the exception of size, which is
limited. The datasheet for an empty capsule is as follows:

VII. Peeling off the Shell:

If you don't like the taste of the soft gel, you can remove the shell.
Hard capsules: it is not advisable to peel off the shell and take the powder immediately into the
mouth due to the presence of particular powder inside;
VIII. Stability of ingredients:
Soft capsules: Most square measure unstable, however is placed at temperature, and aren't
simply alter thanks to hermetical protection.
Hard capsules: usually, a lot of stable, however sensitive to light-weight or heat, and simply
alter thanks to the capsule filling and lockup system.
X. How to choose capsule products?
1. If it's a drug or a health-care product, start with isotonic powder, which can be absorbed 90%
in 5 minutes, then go on to capsules (soft capsules first, then hard capsules), and
ultimately granules (approximately 1 hour).
2. Choose as few colorful things as possible if at all possible;
3. Choose products that are light-protected and sealed; transparent packaging is not
recommended.

4. It is better not to choose or eat the hard capsule if it is flattened or distorted.

5. It can be taken with either cold or warm water, though soft capsules are typically larger. It can
be eaten by biting it and swallowing it (not all capsules).
XI. In addition: When people take capsules, they are prone to fall
into three misunderstandings.
1. The use of hot water is the first step. The capsule skin will easily attach to the throat or
esophagus, speeding up the disintegration process. Use cold water whenever possible.
2. Lie down or sit in a comfortable position. Some capsules are extremely corrosive, and if they
become stuck in the esophagus, they can burn the mucosa. It is preferable to take a few
steps forward.
3. Remove the shell by peeling it away from the body. Peeling off the shell is not recommended
for sustained-release and enteric capsules since the drug inside is more irritating to the stomach.
With continuous development, the soft gel capsule and hard capsule
can both be sub-classified into below:
To make such a dose form more efficient, formulation experts aim to fill an empty capsule with
liquid or paste.

The trends in soft gel development:

Gelatin soft capsules and non-animal soft capsules are the two basic types of soft
capsules. The most common application type is gelatin soft capsules, which accounted for 90.9
percent of the global soft capsule market in 2018. This trend is especially pronounced in China,
where gelatin soft gels account for approximately 98.7% of the soft gel market. Vegetarian soft
gels are more expensive and more complicated to manufacture. Carrageenan-based soft gels and
starch/tapioca-based soft gels are currently available.

The trends in hard gelatin capsule development:

The capsule shell is commonly referred to as 'empty capsules,' and there are gelatin
capsules and vegetarian capsules available, depending on the raw material used to make
them. Their look does not distinguish them. We normally prefer non-split capsules with a
pre-locked capsule body and cap when using a capsule filling machine to fill material into
empty capsules. From capsule body-cap separation through capsule guide, filling,
locking, and discharge, the machine will handle it all.
A non-split capsule has the following structure: To optimize the operation of the capsule
filling machine, six elongated locking dimples ensure a perfect, round capsule diameter.
Mechanically, round hemispherical ends are stronger and more resistant to deformation.
Air vents allow air to escape from the cap, which is important for high-speed capsule
filling machines; locking rings ensure a leak-free seal.

The most common form of capsule is still gelatin. This gelatin grade satisfies the strict
specifications for pharmaceutical products.
 With the appeal of a healthy lifestyle, non-killing concept, and religious reasons,
vegetarian capsules are gaining market share around the world. Starch, HPMC (Hydroxypropyl
methylcellulose), and Pullulan are commonly used to make the outer shell (known as pollution-
free plastics). The 'Licaps' liquid-filled
capsule was created to fulfill the growing demand for liquid capsule products. It is designed for
the safe sealing of liquid and semi-solid capsules. Despite the fact that traditional empty capsules
can be filled with liquid using a banding machine, there is little evidence to say if the shell will
be dissolved by the interior liquid. Some materials have the potential for leaking and dissolving
issues. There are numerous advantages to using a liquid
capsule: Plant-derived gelatin capsules in a variety of sizes and colors; having a better
bioavailability and absorption rate than powder capsules; Control of highly active medications in
a safer manner; It is greater content homogeneity for low dose level capsules, especially at low
dose levels. Better sealing of the cap body and cap, which protects the components from oxygen
and masks the inner odor.
Whether it is the gelatin capsule or vegetarian capsule or liquid capsule, it is a food-
grade material under strict standardized production, and it has no harm to the human
body.
Types of liquid-filled capsules:
Liquid Gel Capsule • Beadlets in Liquid Capsule • Pellets in Liquid Capsule • Capsule in
Liquid Capsule.

Different Machines and Formulations for each type of capsule:

The main principle of a soft gel encapsulator is to use the elasticity of liquid gelatin
solution and die roll cold pressing to create a two-piece gelatin ribbon that is sealed as a
whole dose. /Soft gel encapsulation machine for regular gelatin soft gel. /Customized soft
gel encapsulation machine for regular carrageenan based soft gel and starch/tapioca based
soft gel. To manufacture seamless soft gels, you'll need a seamless soft gel machine.
A capsule filling machine with manual, semi-automated, or automatic encapsulators
completes the hard capsule. Step-by-step capsule rectification, separation, filling, locking,
and discharge are all performed by the automatic capsule filling machine. Filling
machines increase production efficiency while lowering labor expenses.

Capsule rectification Separation of capsule cap and body Filling Wasted capsules
rejection Capsule locking Filled capsuled ejection Cleaning/Traditional Capsule Cleaning
Updated Liquid Capsule Filling Machine for liquid and paste/Powder Filling Machine