A Vegetarian Capsule: A Review

Abstract

Many of us knowingly or unknowingly consume non-veg shiny shells derived from cows, pigs and other animals. Religious, cultural and personal issues may affect patients’ preference towards the medications presented in capsule dosage forms. Two-piece capsules have been used for almost a century in the pharmaceutical field, and gelatin has been adopted as the main material of these capsules due to its excellent characteristic as a gelatinizer. The gelatin dissolves under high concentration into water of a high temperature and quickly gels in room temperature. The thickness of the film made by the gelatin becomes uniform. The crosslinking of gelatin and drug incompatibilities and the strict regulations regarding the use of animal derived gelatin requiring the absence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) have encouraged the search for gelatin replacement. The aim of this review is to resolve questions regarding the replacement of gelatin in manufacturing of capsules.