How Long Do Capsules Take To Dissolve?

1.Define Capsules?

Doctor holding cup full of capsules

In drugs manufacturing, capsule can be defined as a means to deliver drugs in solid dosage form which are taken orally. In contrast to tablets, which are compresesed powders, capsules are characterized by their shells which can be hard or soft. These capsule shells hold inside them various ingredients which may be in form of solid or liquid.

Capsules are of various sizes and shapes and they are produced by using special encapsulation machines which can be manual or automatic depending upon the production scale. In addition to it, capsules are preferred for their convenient dosage administration that's why, the use of capsules is also prevalent in herbal, nutraceucal, and beauty care industry.

Before we delve deep into the concerned topic, let's uncover few important facts about capsules in the underlying paragraphs!

Composition

Capsule is mainly composed of a shell and the content laying inside it. The shell is made up of gelatin as base ingredient in combination with certain other substances such as plasticizers, colorants, and flavoring agents.

As far as the inside content of capsules is concerned, so, it varies from fine powder to granules, pellets and liquids. They are made by mixing active ingredients with excipients for managing drug release timing, effectiveness, and preservation.

Types

Softgel capsules- Picture Courtesy: byrdie

There are wide range of capsules available in market today. These types vary on several basis such as the composition of shell, capsules coating, and type of ingredients laying inside them. The important capsule types include:

• Hard gel capsules
• Softgel capsules
• Enteric coated capsules
• Extended release capsules
• Delayed release capsules
• Controlled release capsules

Benefits

Capsules are admired for their various benefits such as:

• They are easy to swallow.
• Offers convenient way for masking bitter taste and unpleasant smell.
• Capsules are suitable for delivering wide range of substances.
• Provide an effective barrier to content against moisture, light, and air.
• Prolonged shelf life with greater structural stability.

Side Effects

Despite having many advantages, excessive use of capsules as drug dosage may have potential side effects which are highlighted below:

• Hard gel capsules are often sensitive to environmental changes, thereby, may loose their effect.
• Capsules may cause allergic reaction due to the presence of gelatin.
• Softgel capsules may cause serious diseases like kidney stone and liver problem.

2.What Is Meant By The Dissolution Of Capsules?

Capsule dissolution- Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock

When talking about dissolution of capsules, it simply means the break down of capsules in your body. It is a point when the shell of a capsule is molten and the inside content is released in your digestive system.

The dissolution of capsules is instrumental for the absorption of medication and initiating its potential effects. That's why, it is considered necessary to know the dissolution rate and time for capsules. However, it varies from one type of capsule to another and is dependent upon many other factors such as the content formulations and temperature etc.

3.How Long Do Capsules Take To Dissolve?

Capsules usually take 30 mints to 1 hour for their normal disintegration in human body. However, due to the variation in each type characteristics, they may take longer time. In this way, capsules can be divided into three main categories to understand their dissolution timing:

Softgel capsule dissolution- Picture Courtesy: mdpi.com

Immediate Release Capsules

As the name suggest, immediate release capsules refer to the capsules with quick release properties. These capsules are highly bioavailable with fast-acting and short-lasting ingredients. That's why, immediate release capsules are meant to be dissolved in the acidic environment of stomach and often take 30 to 60 minutes. Such medications are taken 2 to 3 times a day with short interval to maintain consistent amount of dosage.

Delayed Release Capsules

Delayed release capsules is a name given to enteric coated capsules. They are designed to slow down the release of active ingredients in order to reduce side effects such as nausea. For instance, delayed release capsules are supposed to undergo the harsh acidic environment of stomach and get dissolve into the small intestine with higher pH.

Similarly, they take a bit longer time of about 1 to 2 hours for dissolution and showing concerned effects. Therefore, the interval for taking enteric coated capsules is longer than that of delayed release capsules.

Extended Release Capsules

Extended release capsules are also known as sustained release capsules for the reason that they take longer time to dissolve which is about 4 to 12 hours. In this way, the dosage taken on daily basis is often reduced to single time only. Such capsules stay in your body and pass through different physiological conditions until desired time passes to start disintegration.

4.How Do Capsules Dissolve In Your Body?

After knowing the timing for different capsules dissolution, it is pertinent to look into the process for their final breakdown. This process is explained in the underlying steps:

Capsule Swallowing

Capsule swallowing- Picture Courtesy: sunsho.co.jp

It just start with a simple step where you need to take a capsule out of the blister pack or a bottle and place it on your tongue. Now, swallow it with some water and it will go down into your stomach by passing through esophagus.

Interacting Fluids

Capsule passing through esophagus- Picture Courtesy: sunsho.co.jp

As the capsule enters your body, it interacts with fluids in form of gastric acids and enzymes. These liquids have digestive properties which cause the capsule to melt down.

Capsule Breakdown

Capsule dissolution in stomach- Picture Courtesy: sunsho.co.jp

At this point, immediate release capsules start breaking down their shells and the content in form of powder, granules, or liquids is released into stomach for disintegration. However, delayed release capsules and extended release capsules do not dissolve in stomach and go to small intestine.

Content Absorption

Upon capsule breakdown, the drug molecules start diffusing and get absorbed into your body. It takes place when the supplement or medication enters your bloodstream through the narrow valves of stomach or small intestine.

Waste Elimination

At last, the material which do not absorb in the body, is processed further. Consequently, it leaves your body as waste.

5.What Is The Test For Capsules Dissolution?

As capsule is a popular oral dosage form in medical industry, its dissolution timing is paid very heed. That's the reason why special testing is conducted to monitor the drug release timing and their quality. Some of the most commonly used tests as per USP for capsules dissolution are explained below:

Basket Type Testing

Basket type testing- Picture Courtesy: labhut.com

It is one of the most commonly used tests for capsule dissolution. It is used for testing floating capsules and delayed released capsules. The test simply involves placing capsule in a rotating basket rack assembly. This basket is then rotated inside a glass filled with thermostatically controlled liquid. Similarly, the capsule is immersed in liquid for 30 minutes to check dissolution timing.

Paddle Type Testing

Paddle type testing- Picture Courtesy: labhut.com

Paddle type testing is another such method used for testing capsule dissolution. In this method, capsule is placed in the bottom of a liquid filled chamber and a paddle is used to stir the dissolution medium (liquid with controlled temperature). This method of testing is employed for immediate release capsules.

Flow Through Cell Testing

Flow through cell testing- Picture Courtesy: researchgate.com

Flow through cell testing is also used for capsules disintegration checking. Here, special flow through cell apparatus is utilized for testing the capsules. Capsule is placed in a vertically positioned test sample through which media is pumped at desired temperature and flow rate. This testing method is used for poorly soluble or modified release drugs

6.Are There Ways To Speed Up Or Slow Down Capsule Dissolution?

The answer to your question is yes! And also, it is pretty easy to influence the capsule dissolution mechanism in your body. You just need to consider the type of capsule you are taking and the way you take it.

For example, if you want to speed up the dissolution timing of immediate release capsules, you can take it empty stomach with water only. Now, the acids and enzymes inside stomach will react with capsule eventually causing it to break down.

In contrast, for delayed release capsules like enteric coated capsules, you can take these capsules after a meal. It will simply give the capsule strength to resist the acidic environment of stomach and pass through it into the small intestine for slow release.

7.Factors Affecting The Dissolution Of Capsules?

As we have explained earlier, that capsules dissolution rate and timing vary significantly, several factors are responsible for this change. In this question, you will know how capsule shell composition, the content, and physiological conditions play instrumental role in the modification of capsules dissolution:

Capsule Shell

Softgel capsules- Picture Courtesy: pharmafranchisecompanies.com

Capsule shell composition is one of the prime factors responsible for changing dissolution of capsules. In this way, three types of capsule shells are used based on their ingredients. These are as follows:

Gelatin based capsules:Usually capsule shells are made from gelatin which is derived from animal sources, therefore, such capsule shells dissolve quickly in stomach which leads to the release of inside content within 20 minutes.

Plant based capsules:Due to allergic reaction and vegetarian preference, the shell of capsules may be derived from plant sources. Similarly, these capsules disintegrate slowly and often take about 30 minutes.

Enteric coated capsules: These are hard gel capsules with enteric coated shells which require hours to dissolve. The thicker the coating the longer time it will take to dissolve.

Inside Contents

Capsule powder ingredients- Picture Courtesy: Freepik

The inside content of capsule is essential to determine the drug absorption efficiency in body. For instance, capsules containing powder are highly bioavailable and quickly diffuse with fluids like those present in stomach.

On the other hand, granules or pelets are comparatively thicker and denser than powders. They are created for controlled release as a result of which capsules containing granules or pellets take longer time. Moreover, liquid capsules have greater stability due to which they get dissolve quickly into body once the shell is opened.

Physiological Condition

PH scale- Picture Courtesy: greengobbler.com

It simply means how body's internal condition influence the capsules dissolution process. For example, stomach is acidic than small intestine as a result of which some capsules dissolve earlier than the other ones. Similarly, high temperature fuel the dissolution process Whil as cold temperature may slow it down. Lastly, capsules taken with food take more time to dissolve than those taken empty stomach

Conclusion

The bottom line is simply that you should know How Long Do Capsules Take To Dissolve. Understanding the capsule dissolution timing and process will greatly help you manage your medication and dosage per day. Moreover, it is also important to consider the factors which may affect the capsule dissolution. After all, being an enlightened person, you must be fully aware of the product before its consumption. Apart from this, capsules must be taken with care and with proper consultation to a physician. If you found this blogspot an informative one, don't forget to share and look into our website for relevant information!