The main excipients for capsules are diluents, lubricants, glidants, disintegrants, wetting agents, adhesives, etc. The correct excipients enable the capsule to achieve the desired pharmacokinetic properties and reduce manufacturing costs. It simplifies the manufacture of pharmaceutical products and ultimately promotes the physiological absorption of the drug.
(1) Diluents: Improve the physical properties of the contents and increase the volume, and they often have a certain compressibility. Commonly used diluents are mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, lactose, pregelatinized starch 1500, corn starch and the like.
(2) Lubricants: Prevent the adhesion of powder to metal materials. Common materials include magnesium stearate, glyceryl monostearate, stearic acid, talc, and the like.
(3) Glidants: Improve the fluidity of the contents. Commonly used glidants are micro-silica gel and talcum powder.
(4) Disintegrants: Ensure the disintegration of the contents. Common disintegrants include crosslinked cellulose, corn starch, crospovidone, pregelatinized starch 1500, and the like.
(5) Wetting agents: Increase the wettability of the drug and the dissolution medium to ensure the efficacy of the preparation. Polysorbate 80, sodium lauryl sulfate, and the like are common.
(6) Adhesives: The adhesive binds the drug powder together at the time of granulation, such as starch slurry, CMC-Na, HPC, and so on.
