In the manufacture of pharmaceuticals,
encapsulation refers to a range of
dosage forms—techniques used to enclose medicines—in a relatively stable shell known as a
capsule, allowing them to, for example, be taken orally or be used as
suppositories. The two main types of capsules are:
- Hard-shelled capsules, which are typically made using gelatin and contain dry, powdered ingredients or miniature pellets made by e.g. processes of extrusion or spheronisation. These are made in two halves: a lower-diameter "body" that is filled and then sealed using a higher-diameter "cap".
- Soft-shelled capsules, primarily used for oils and for active ingredients that are dissolved or suspended in oil.