08-26-2007, 10:48 PM
<!--emo&:ind--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/india.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='india.gif' /><!--endemo--> Capsules for the veg palate
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, August 25
Remember the last time you popped in that ubiquitous capsule? Most of us do that, blissfully unaware that the shell is made of gelatin which is derived from the hide and bones of animals.
âAs many as 99 per cent of the capsules available in the market have gelatin shells,â says biotechnologist Prof Basant Kumar Behera, who is also the director of the advanced centre for biotechnology at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here.
Dr Behera holds an international patent on cellulose-derivative capsules. Talking to The Tribune regarding his invention here today, he said, âEarlier, there was no alternative to the gelatin capsules. Besides, artificial colours were used to make these capsules look distinct and attractive.â
He took it as a challenge and dedicated himself towards making naturally coloured vegetarian capsules.
His efforts bore fruit and he was successful in inventing what he calls vegetarian capsules. While the shell of these capsules is made from a cellulose derivative, these are coloured using natural pigments like chlorophyll and beta-carotene.
After persistent efforts, he was successful in getting an international patent last year. The capsule is being manufactured by Bangalore-based Natural Capsules Ltd. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies like Dabur, Himalayan Drugs, Hindustan Lever and Alchem are now using capsules made from this technology. Others like Ranbaxy have also expressed interest in using these.
The reason behind the growing demand for these capsules is not hard to understand. âThe capsules made from gelatin may lead to certain complications as many a time, there is little quality check over the collection of animal material,â Dr Behera maintains.
On the other hand, the HPMC-based capsule shells have been derived from cellulose extracted from sugarcane and cotton residue. They are coloured using natural pigments derived from carrot, spinach and other such natural sources.
However, while the industry is upbeat over the invention, the government has not shown much enthusiasm. As of now, the high cost of these capsules is a major limiting factor in their large-scale manufacture and use.
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, August 25
Remember the last time you popped in that ubiquitous capsule? Most of us do that, blissfully unaware that the shell is made of gelatin which is derived from the hide and bones of animals.
âAs many as 99 per cent of the capsules available in the market have gelatin shells,â says biotechnologist Prof Basant Kumar Behera, who is also the director of the advanced centre for biotechnology at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here.
Dr Behera holds an international patent on cellulose-derivative capsules. Talking to The Tribune regarding his invention here today, he said, âEarlier, there was no alternative to the gelatin capsules. Besides, artificial colours were used to make these capsules look distinct and attractive.â
He took it as a challenge and dedicated himself towards making naturally coloured vegetarian capsules.
His efforts bore fruit and he was successful in inventing what he calls vegetarian capsules. While the shell of these capsules is made from a cellulose derivative, these are coloured using natural pigments like chlorophyll and beta-carotene.
After persistent efforts, he was successful in getting an international patent last year. The capsule is being manufactured by Bangalore-based Natural Capsules Ltd. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies like Dabur, Himalayan Drugs, Hindustan Lever and Alchem are now using capsules made from this technology. Others like Ranbaxy have also expressed interest in using these.
The reason behind the growing demand for these capsules is not hard to understand. âThe capsules made from gelatin may lead to certain complications as many a time, there is little quality check over the collection of animal material,â Dr Behera maintains.
On the other hand, the HPMC-based capsule shells have been derived from cellulose extracted from sugarcane and cotton residue. They are coloured using natural pigments derived from carrot, spinach and other such natural sources.
However, while the industry is upbeat over the invention, the government has not shown much enthusiasm. As of now, the high cost of these capsules is a major limiting factor in their large-scale manufacture and use.