Your choice of dosage form can make an important statement about the value and nature of your product, from customer compliance to manufacturing processes.
As opposed to powders or liquids, capsules offer greater ease of use and increased adherence, fitting into daily and travel routines more seamlessly than either option. Furthermore, their superior bioavailability makes them an excellent way to provide essential nutrition.
Ease of Consumption
Capsules offer excellent protection from degradation caused by light, air and moisture exposure – making them the ideal solution for vitamins, minerals and other supplements which may become affected by environmental factors over time and lose their potency over time.
Capsules are easier and often tasteless to swallow and tend to dissolve rapidly in your digestive tract for quicker absorption of medication into your bloodstream than tablets which may have bitter or unpleasant flavors that make them hard to swallow.
A capsule’s shell can be composed of either gelatin or plant-based polymers such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), with HPMC being particularly popular due to being non-toxic and vegetarian friendly. Capsule-based electronic drug delivery devices like Intellicap can also use capsules – typically an ingestible capsule with pH and temperature sensors, a piston, microprocessors and shape memory alloy wires which detect temperature changes before responding by driving a push piston to release the medicine.
Ease of Carrying
Capsules fit seamlessly into pill organizers and travel cases, making them the ideal option for on-the-go supplements. Their portability helps promote supplement adherence while making maintaining a healthy diet easy to do when on the move.
Caplets offer enhanced absorption, which may make them more effective than tablets on average. Unfortunately, capsule medications can react to sunlight and humidity and their shelf life tends to be shorter compared with tablet medicines; additionally, many capsules contain animal gelatin in their composition.
Engineers at UC San Diego have created a smart capsule which packs multiple medications into individual compartments that release at scheduled times throughout the day. This breakthrough could significantly simplify medication management for individuals with complex regimens by using barriers constructed of polymer material to shield the medications from stomach acidity before dissolving in an alkaline environment to trigger release.
Bioavailability
Capsules are generally odorless and tasteless (with some special-flavored capsules being an exception), making them easier to swallow than tablets. Furthermore, capsules tend to leave less of an unpleasant aftertaste behind and are harder to manipulate or break apart into smaller parts.
Tablets often contain flavorings and coatings to mask unpleasant tastes, leading to an unpleasant aftertaste once swallowed. Conversely, capsules are tasteless and odorless as well as being hermetically sealed against tampering.
Hard gelatin capsules are widely used to encase powders, granules, pellets, nonaqueous liquids and semisolids because they provide protection from moisture, oxygen and light until their active ingredients are released [1]. Enteric coating can also help shield medications from stomach acid until reaching intestinal fluid with higher pH levels – improving absorption rates further. Two-piece hard capsules provide greater formulation flexibility by accommodating ingredients that come in liquid, pellet or tablet form.
Customization
Capsule products can be customized to the manufacturer’s exact needs, creating products with distinctive styles that stand out in the market. Options range from size and material choices to print patterns and color hues so manufacturers have plenty of freedom when creating capsule products to reflect and reinforce their brand identities.
Capsule designs that target customer loyalty are more likely to generate customer retention, helping companies build long-term clientele at lower costs than constantly acquiring new ones.
Color can be one of the most distinctive elements of a capsule, making it an effective way to differentiate a brand. A soothing-colored capsule may elevate perceived value and improve efficacy of medication; while flavored versions such as those featuring berry flavors can mask unpleasant tastes found in pharmaceutical ingredients to optimize taste for pediatric use.
