Item

HPMC capsules

Pullulan capsules

Gelatin capsules

Material source

made from cotton or wood fiber

obtained from starch or glucose fermentation

extracted from animal’s skins or bone

Chemical stability

chemical inert;
do not be involved in the metabolized in the body;
nor provide calories

chemical inert;
as well as with some healthcare function.

easy to crosslink, leading to delay the disintegrating time, reduce capsule contents dissolution, and influence pharmacological action.

Moisture content

5-8%

10-13%

12.5-17.5%

Disintegration time

4-7 min, generally, 6 min

4-7 min, generally, 6 min

less than 10 min

Friability

none

none

less than 5 pcs in 50 pcs

Safety

safe.
common used pharmaceuticals adjuvant, recorded by Pharmacopeia of many countries.

safe.
fermented product

with potential risk, especially for the emergence of mad cow disease and spongiform encephalopathy

Encapsulation

Three kinds of capsules can be encapsulated on high speed automatic-machine(800– 8000pcs /min), without any difference.