In recent years, with the successive outbreaks of animal-derived infectious diseases worldwide, the international community has increasingly worried about the safety of animal products. Empty plant based capsules (also called vegetarian capsules or vegetable capsules) have outstanding advantages over animal gelatin capsules in terms of applicability, safety, stability, and environmental protection.
Since the emergence of vegetarian capsules, the proportion of vegetarian capsules used in medicines and health products in the world has been increasing. The United States also requires that the market share of vegetarian capsules reach more than 80% within a few years. Vegetarian capsules are superior to animal gelatin capsules in all aspects. They are especially suitable for anti-biotic and anti-inflammatory drugs, traditional Chinese medicines and high-end health products. Therefore, vegetable capsules are an inevitable substitute for animal gelatin capsules.
The superiority of vegetarian capsules over animal gelatin capsules
-Empty vegetarian capsules are environmentally friendly
As we all know, the production and extraction of animal gelatin is made from animal skin and bone as raw materials and fermented through chemical reactions. A large number of chemical components are added in the process. Anyone who has been to the gelatin factory knows that the production process emits a lot of peculiar smell and uses a lot of water resources, which causes serious pollution to the air and water environment.
Many plant gums are extracted by physical extraction methods, which are extracted from marine and terrestrial plants, and will not produce rotten foul odors. It also greatly reduces the amount of water used and reduces environmental pollution. In the production process of capsules, no harmful substances are added, and there is absolutely no environmental pollution. Gelatin has a low waste recycling rate and generates a lot of pollution sources when the waste is disposed of. Therefore, plant capsule manufacturers can be called “zero emission” enterprises.
-Stability of raw materials for vegetarian capsules
The raw materials for gelatin production come from different animal carcasses such as pigs, cattle and sheep. The currently prevalent mad cow disease, avian influenza, blue ear disease, and foot- and-mouth disease all originate from animals. When a traceability investigation of a drug is required, it is often difficult to trace when the raw materials of the capsule are taken into consideration. The vegetable glue is derived from natural plants, which can better solve the above problems.
The US FDA issued guidelines earlier, hoping that in recent years, the market share of empty vegetable capsules in the US market will reach 80%. One of the main reasons is the above-mentioned problem.
Nowadays, many pharmaceutical companies are repeatedly lowering prices on hollow capsule suppliers due to cost issues. In order to gain a foothold in the difficult living environment, hollow capsules can only be ignorant of their conscience and use cheap gelatin (gelatin processed from old clothes and leather shoes). As a result, it is difficult to guarantee the health of the people.
-Vegetarian capsules have no risk of cross-linking reaction
Vegetarian capsules have strong inertness. It is not easy to cross-link with aldehyde-containing drugs. The main component of gelatin capsules is collagen, which is easily cross-linked with amino acids and aldehyde-containing drugs. It causes adverse reactions such as prolonged disintegration time of capsules and decreased dissolution rate.
-Low water content of vegetarian capsules
The water content of gelatin capsules is between 12.5-17.5%. Gelatin capsules with high water content tend to easily absorb the water content or be absorbed by the content, making the capsule soft or brittle and affecting the drug itself. The water content of plant capsules is controlled between 5-8%. It is not easy to react with the contents above. It can maintain good physical properties such as toughness for content of different properties.
-Vegetarian capsules are easy to store, reducing the storage cost
Gelatin capsules have strict requirements on storage conditions. It needs to be stored and transported at a relatively constant temperature. Gelatin capsules is easy to soften and deform at high temperature or high humidity. It is brittle at low temperature or low humidity, and hardens when it loses water.
Vegetarian capsules have more relaxed conditions. At a temperature between 10-40 ℃ and a humidity between 35-65%, it will not soften, deform or harden and become brittle. Tests have proved that under the condition of 35% humidity, the fragility rate of vegetable capsules is less than or equal to 2%. When the temperature is 80 ℃, the capsule change is less than or equal to 1%.
-The plant capsule can isolate the contact with the outside air
The main ingredient of gelatin capsules is collagen. The nature of its raw materials determines its strong air permeability, making the contents susceptible to adverse effects such as moisture in the air and microorganisms.
The nature of the raw material of the plant capsule determines that it can effectively isolate the contents from the air and avoid adverse effects from the air.
-Stability of vegetarian capsules
The validity period of empty gelatin capsules is generally about 18 months. Coupled with the storage time before use, the shelf life of the capsule is shorter. This often directly affects the shelf life of the drug.
The validity period of the vegetable capsules is 36 months, which significantly increases the validity period of the product.
-Plant based capsules have no preservatives and other residue
In the production of gelatin capsules, preservatives such as methyl parahydroxybenzoate are added to prevent the growth of microorganisms. If the added amount exceeds a certain range, it may eventually affect the excessive arsenic content. At the same time, the empty gelatin capsules must be sterilized after the production is completed. At present, almost all gelatin capsules are sterilized with ethylene oxide. After ethylene oxide sterilization, there will be residues of chloroethanol in the capsule.
During the production process of plant capsules, no preservatives are added. There is no need to sterilize in any way before leaving the factory. It is a healthy green capsule with no preservatives and no residual harmful substances.
-Plant based capsules have lower heavy metals
In this respect, vegetable capsules are significantly better than animal gelatin capsules.
Vegetarian capsules can inhibit the growth of bacteria
The main raw material of animal gelatin capsules is collagen. Generally speaking, collagen is a bacterial culture agent, which helps bacteria to multiply. If it is not handled properly, the number of bacteria will exceed the standard, and it will multiply.
The main raw material of plant based capsules is plant fiber. Not only will it not multiply bacteria, but it will also inhibit the growth of bacteria. Tests have proved that plant based capsules can keep the number of microorganisms within the required standard range when placed in an ordinary environment for a long time.
-Vegetarian capsules have a looser filling environment
When animal gelatin capsules are filled with contents in a fully automatic filling machine, the temperature requirements of the environment are very high. The temperature and humidity are too high, and the capsule becomes soft and deformed. The temperature and humidity are too low and the capsules are hardened and brittle. This will greatly affect the pass rate of the capsule. Therefore, the working environment should be maintained at about 20-40 ℃, and the humidity should be maintained at 45-55%.
Empty vegetable capsules have relatively loose requirements for the working environment for filling the contents. The temperature is between 15-30 ℃, and the humidity is between 35-65%, which can maintain a good machine pass rate.
-Vegetarian capsules are suitable for almost all consumers
Animal gelatin capsules use animal bone skin as the main raw material, which is for many people, such as vegetarians.
Plant based capsules use pure natural plant cellulose as the main raw material, suitable for use by any ethnic group.
Conclusion
Vegetarian capsules have more and irreplaceable advantages than the animal gelatin capsules. Although the cost of choosing plant capsules will be higher, as a carrier of health care products, natural green plant based capsules are your better choice.