Towards A Sustainable Future
With
pollution, global
climate change , and other issues plaguing the health
of our
surroundings , industries operating in several sectors round the world
are adopting greener solutions to create a sustainable future. The pharmaceutical
industry, too, in recent years, has been gradually moving towards green
manufacturing to
scale back carbon footprints. But other opportunities for
embracing sustainability also can be explored with plant-based natural
ingredients. There are several vegetarian excipients available today which will replace
conventional excipients. Naturally derived ingredients hold a promising future
in drug product and supplement formulation.
Gelatine
– Ideal but not sustainable
In the pharmaceutical industry, gelatine
obtained from animal sources (bovine or porcine) has been a key pharmaceutical
excipient that has been used as a gelling agent and for fabricating capsule
shells. it's excellent
gelling properties over a good pH range, its rheological behaviour
demonstrating temperature-dependent reversible sol-gel transition, its
non-toxic and inert nature and its ability to make robust, flexible
films. However, with veganism now officially becoming “mainstream”, it's become
necessary to
modify to more sustainable and plant-based alternatives.
Moreover, its sources can also not be acceptable to all or any thanks to religious
or cultural reasons. Besides, gelatine’s animal origin can pose a severe risk
of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) contamination.
Moving
towards sustainable ingredients
Cellulose, a renewable plant resource is now
being widely wont
to manufacture capsules. it's greatly helped in
broadening the scope of capsule-based drug delivery. A cellulose-based capsule
is quite just
a vegetarian gelatine substitute. Unlike gelatine capsules, these plant-based
capsules have inherently low moisture content, allowing the encapsulation
of a
good sort of ingredients, including people who are
moisture-sensitive or hygroscopic. Their versatile applications have opened
innovative avenues for drug delivery. Vegetarian capsules are often filled
efficiently on all capsule filling machines, with optimum productivity. due to their
manifold advantages, cellulose-based capsules are gradually gaining popularity
among formulators for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical use. Besides capsule
shells, cellulose is additionally getting used for other
pharmaceutical applications like tablet coatings, binding in granulation,
controlled release matrices, drug layering, etc.
Carrageenan, a high-performing pharmaceutical
ingredient, is obtained by extracting red seaweeds, which are present ocean
plants which
will be sustainably cultivated. due to its high relative molecular
mass , high viscosity, superior gelling and stabilising
properties, it can effectively replace traditional gelling agents like gelatine.
Carrageenan has been known to be a secure ingredient in
dietary supplements and pharmaceutical products.
Alginates isolated from brown seaweeds are often used
as a gelatine substitute for coating capsules and tablets. Alginate can mask
unpleasant odours and help enhance patient experience while shielding
acid-sensitive active ingredients from the tough gastric
environment. Alginates have even gained popularity as a lively ingredient to
combat acid reflux within the sort of algin for chewable products.
Pectin, produced from the peels of citrus
fruits, like oranges
and lemons is
especially used as a gelling agent but also can act
as a thickener, stabiliser, binding agent and controlled releases matrices in
tablet formulations.
Conclusion
Operating during a stringent
regulatory environment, where patient safety, product quality and merchandise effectiveness
are paramount, the pharmaceutical industry must look beyond traditional paths
to achieving strides in environmental responsibility. By implementing novel
approaches like using
vegetarian ingredients, pharmaceutical manufacturers can position
themselves during
a more sustainability-focused market.
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