Chewable Emulsion Capsule for Masking Fish Oil Taste
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current oral administration forms of unsaturated fatty acid ester oils, such as fish oils, are unpalatable and difficult to swallow due to their strong taste and smell, particularly for young and elderly individuals, leading to a need for improved delivery methods.
Innovation Solution
Development of chewable oil-in-water emulsions with a gelled aqueous phase containing gelatin or a mixture of gelatin and polysaccharides, which include physiologically active unsaturated fatty acid esters, providing a masked taste and improved swallowability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If unsaturated fatty acid ester oils are administered in capsule form, then the taste and smell are masked, but the capsules become large and difficult to swallow
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the large capsule into multiple smaller unit dosage forms (0.25-3g each), allowing patients to take multiple smaller portions instead of one large capsule. This segmentation maintains taste masking while significantly improving swallowability, especially for children and elderly patients who struggle with large capsules.
Solution Approach 2:
The emulsion composition is enclosed within an edible gelatin capsule that can be further contained within outer packaging. This nested structure allows the unpleasant oil to be completely enclosed during storage and transport, then delivered in manageable smaller doses that are easier to swallow than traditional large capsules.
2Ease of operation
If the capsule is chewed to improve swallowability, then the capsule bursts in the mouth, but the unpleasant taste and smell are released
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the oil delivery system by creating a stable emulsion with specific droplet size distributions and using gelatin capsules with optimized wall thickness and strength. These parameter changes allow the capsule to be chewed or allowed to dissolve in the mouth without premature bursting, while the emulsion structure prevents oil leakage and taste release until the capsule fully dissolves in the digestive system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining gelatin capsule material with an emulsion containing unsaturated fatty acid esters. The gelatin capsule acts as a barrier that can be safely chewed or dissolved, while the emulsion interior maintains oil stability. This composite approach allows the capsule to provide both protective enclosure and controlled dissolution properties, preventing premature taste release while improving swallowability.
3Quantity of substance
If fish oil is used to provide essential fatty acids, then nutritional benefits are achieved, but oxidation sensitivity causes bad taste and smell
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an emulsion system as an intermediary between the fish oil and the patient. The emulsion contains the unsaturated fatty acid esters in a stabilized form, preventing direct contact with oxygen that would cause oxidation. The emulsion droplets act as protective compartments, maintaining the essential fatty acids in a reduced, non-oxidized state until delivery to the digestive system, thereby eliminating the oxidation-associated bad taste and smell.
Solution Approach 2:
The emulsion creates an oxygen-excluded environment for the unsaturated fatty acid esters by dispersing them in an aqueous phase with emulsifiers. This effectively creates an inert atmosphere around each oil droplet, preventing oxidation reactions that produce unpleasant odors and tastes. The emulsion structure protects the sensitive fatty acids from atmospheric oxygen throughout storage and delivery.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The chewable emulsions effectively mask the unpleasant taste and smell of unsaturated fatty acid esters, allowing for a convenient and palatable delivery of essential fatty acids like EPA and DHA, suitable for various age groups, including children and the elderly.
Implementation Method 1
wherein the aqueous phase comprises a gelling agent selected from gelatin and mixtures of gelatin and polysaccharides
Implementation Method 2
chewable, set oil-in-water emulsion in which the aqueous phase is gelled
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an orally administrable chewable pharmaceutical composition in unit dosage form comprising an oil-in-water emulsion in which the aqueous phase is gelled and in which the oil phase comprises a physiologically tolerable unsaturated fatty acid ester, wherein the aqueous phase comprises a physiologically active agent, or the oil phase comprises a physiologically tolerable lipid soluble material which is physiologically active. The invention also relates to such compositions for use in a method of treatment of a human by oral administration. The invention also relates to the use of a physiologically active agent or physiologically tolerable lipid soluble material for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of a human by oral administration wherein said medicament is in the form of a composition according to the invention.