IP Library Granted Patent US 12,661,406
Granted Patent B2
US 12,661,406 · App. 17/614,644 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Film-forming composition containing gellan gum and starch, and application in soft capsule

Inventors: Xufa Li (Shantou, CN); Qiong Chen (Shantou, CN); Suqiong Fang (Shantou, CN); Xuteng Yang (Shantou, CN)
Assignee: SIRIO PHARMA CO., LTD.
A61K47/36A23L29/272A23L29/30A23P10/30A61K9/4816
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,661,406
App. No.
17/614,644
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a starch film-forming composition, comprising: A, a first gelling agent; B, starch; C, a plasticizer; D, water; wherein the first gelling agent is a gellan gum with two gel temperatures, wherein the first gel temperature is 51 to 75° C. and the second gel temperature is 40° C. to 50° C. The present application relates to the field of food or pharmaceutical raw materials. The composition is obviously superior to the prior art in terms of rubber strength, toughness and forming bonding when used in preparation of soft capsules, can fully meet the requirements for industrial production of soft capsules and can be used as an alternative in soft capsule technology.

Claims (23)

1 . A starch film-forming composition, comprising:

(a) a first gelling agent;

(b) starch;

(c) a plasticizer; and

(d) water;

wherein the first gelling agent is a gellan gum with two gel temperatures, wherein the first gel temperature is 70° C., and the second gel temperature is 42° C.,

wherein a weight ratio of the first gelling agent to the starch ranges from 0.05 to 0.1, and the starch is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a mixture of hydroxypropyl starch and an oxidized hydroxypropyl starch, wherein a weight ratio between the hydroxypropyl starch and the oxidized hydroxypropyl starch is 1:9;

(ii) a mixture of a hydroxypropyl starch and an oxidized starch, wherein a weight ratio between the hydroxypropyl starch and the oxidized starch is 1:4; and

(iii) a mixture of a hydroxypropyl starch and a hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, wherein a weight ratio between the hydroxypropyl starch and the hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate is 2:1 to 9:1.

2 . The starch film-forming composition according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the first gelling agent ranges from 2 to 6 wt %, the total content of the starch ranges from 25 to 50 wt %, the content of the plasticizer ranges from 10 to 30 wt %, and the content of the water ranges from 33 to 70 wt %.

3 . The starch film-forming composition according to claim 2 , wherein the film-forming composition further comprises 5 to 35 wt % of a water-soluble polysaccharide.

4 . The starch film-forming composition according to claim 3 , wherein the water-soluble polysaccharide is selected from a group consisting of pullulan, dextrin and maltodextrin.

5 . The starch film-forming composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, xylitol, crystalline fructose and trehalose.

6 . The starch film-forming composition according to claim 5 , further comprising a second gelling agent, wherein the weight percentage of the second gelling agent ranges from 0.1 to 5 wt %, and the second gelling agent is selected from a group consisting of carrageenan, agar, sodium alginate, low methoxy pectin, high methoxy pectin, amidated pectin, high acyl gellan gum, low acyl gellan gum, konjac glucomannan, xanthan gum and locust bean gum.

7 . A method for preparing the starch film-forming composition according to claim 2 , comprising: a) adding the first gelling agent to the plasticizer, stirring homogeneously to form a mixture, and then adding water to the mixture which is then heated at a temperature between 80° C. and 98° C. with stirring until the first gelling agent dissolves; b) adding the starch, and heating at a temperature between 80° C. and 98° C. with stirring until the starch dissolves; and c) removing air bubbles to obtain the film-forming composition.

8 . The preparation method according to claim 7 , wherein the b) step further comprises adding a water-soluble polysaccharide with a weight percentage between 5 and 35 wt %; and the b) step is a step for adding the starch and the water-soluble polysaccharide, and heating at a temperature between 80° C. and 98° C. with stirring until the starch and the water-soluble polysaccharide dissolves.

9 . The preparation method according to claim 7 , wherein the a) step further comprises adding a second gelling agent with the weight percentage of the second gelling agent between 0.1 and 5 wt %; and the a) step is a step for adding the first gelling agent and the second gelling agent to the plasticizer, stirring homogeneously to form the mixture, and then adding the water to the mixture which is then heated at a temperature between 80° C. and 98° C. with stirring until the first gelling agent and the second gelling agent dissolves.

10 . A capsule shell comprising the starch film-forming composition of claim 1 .

11 . The preparation method according to claim 8 , wherein the a) step further comprises adding a second gelling agent with the weight percentage of the second gelling agent between 0.1 and 5 wt %; and the a) step is a step for adding the first gelling agent and the second gelling agent to the plasticizer, stirring homogeneously to form the mixture, and then adding the water to the mixture which is then heated at a temperature between 80° C. and 98° C. with stirring until the first gelling agent and the second gelling agent dissolves.

12 . The starch film-forming composition according to claim 6 , wherein the weight percentage of the second gelling agent ranges from 1 to 3 wt %, and the second gelling agent is selected from a group consisting of carrageenan, agar, and amidated pectin.

13 . The starch film-forming composition according to claim 2 , wherein the content of the first gelling agent ranges from 2 to 3 wt %, the total content of the starch ranges from 35 to 40 wt %, the content of the plasticizer ranges from 10 to 30 wt %, and the content of the water ranges from 33 to 60 wt %.

14 . A capsule shell comprising the starch film-forming composition of claim 6 .