Pharmaceutical Capsule Filling and Sealing Quiz

Capsule Filling and Sealing Process Overview

• Capsules may need to break easily, especially for powders, and may require microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, and crospovidone for disintegration.
• Disintegrants work by swelling when wet, pushing particles apart, and the need for disintegrants depends on the powder's compression and space between particles.
• Starch is suitable for tablets but not for capsules due to its strength, and surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate are used for hydrophobic drugs to aid in wetting.
• The release of the drug after swallowing depends on the shell disintegration, polymer dissolution at body temperature, and the powder's loose or plug form affecting the speed of drug release.
• Particle size affects dissolution rate, and powders that aggregate reduce the dissolution rate, necessitating a formulation where powders disperse effectively in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Excipients like wetting agents and sugars can enhance the solubility of poorly soluble drugs and draw water into the powder mass.
• Magnesium stearate can reduce powder sticking to machine surfaces, but excessive use can decrease drug release, and lubricants impact the cohesion and adhesion of powders.
• Bench scale filling involves manually filling empty caps with a powder blend, pushing the powder into the cap, and industrial scale filling can handle 5000-150,000 capsules per hour using various systems like the auger, dosing tube, and dising disc with a tamping system.
• Capsule sealing methods include creating a band using a polymer for extra security, tamper-proof seals, and using heat, color, or solvent to seal the capsule.
• Cleaning and coating processes involve dedusting and polishing the capsules, spraying coating solutions, and applying film or functional coatings based on the purpose.
• Enteric capsules can be made through enteric coating or by using pH-sensitive polymers in the capsule material.