Special techniques of capsule formulation MCQs With Answer

This concise guide covers special techniques of capsule formulation, focusing on hard gelatin and soft gelatin capsules, encapsulation techniques, excipient selection, microencapsulation, taste masking, controlled-release strategies, and compatibility studies. B.Pharm students will learn key factors like powder flow, bulk density, moisture control, capsule materials, filling technologies (dosator, tamping, rotary), sealing, and stability considerations. Practical insights into troubleshooting, quality control tests (disintegration, dissolution, weight variation), and regulatory aspects are included to prepare you for lab work and exams. The language is simple yet technically rigorous to strengthen formulation decision-making and problem-solving skills. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. Which excipient is primarily added to capsule fills to improve powder flow for accurate dosing?

• Binder
• Glidant
• Disintegrant
• Sweetener

Correct Answer: Glidant

Q2. What is the main advantage of using soft gelatin capsules over hard gelatin capsules for liquid formulations?

• Lower manufacturing cost
• Better protection against moisture
• Ability to encapsulate liquids and low-melting-point substances
• Easier to produce for high-dose solids

Correct Answer: Ability to encapsulate liquids and low-melting-point substances

Q3. Which technique is commonly used to prepare enteric-coated capsules for targeted intestinal release?

• Microencapsulation with gelatin only
• Coating with acid-resistant polymers like Eudragit L
• Inclusion of disintegrants
• Adding glidants to the fill

Correct Answer: Coating with acid-resistant polymers like Eudragit L

Q4. Cross-linking in gelatin capsule shells mainly affects which property?

• Color stability
• Heat conductivity
• Disintegration time (slower disintegration)
• Capsule size variability

Correct Answer: Disintegration time (slower disintegration)

Q5. In capsule formulation, which parameter is most critical when designing controlled-release pellets for filling into capsules?

• Pellet color
• Pore size distribution of pellets/coating thickness
• Capsule cap diameter only
• Manufacturing humidity only

Correct Answer: Pore size distribution of pellets/coating thickness

Q6. Which filling method uses a cylindrical die to meter powder into capsule bodies by tamping or dosator action?

• Accu-Fill method
• Dosator and tamping pin methods
• Liquid injection molding
• Spray drying

Correct Answer: Dosator and tamping pin methods

Q7. What is the purpose of overfilling factor (or compensation factor) in capsule filling?

• To reduce raw material cost
• To adjust for powder compressibility and bulk density differences during scale-up
• To change capsule color
• To enhance taste masking

Correct Answer: To adjust for powder compressibility and bulk density differences during scale-up

Q8. Which excipient is added to capsule formulations to promote rapid breakup of the fill after ingestion?

• Lubricant
• Disintegrant
• Plasticizer
• Preservative

Correct Answer: Disintegrant

Q9. Moisture content of hard gelatin capsules ideally should be maintained within which approximate range to prevent brittleness or tackiness?

• 0–1%
• 5–14%
• 20–30%
• 40–50%

Correct Answer: 5–14%

Q10. Which test is most relevant for assessing the uniformity of active content in filled capsules?

• Friability test
• Content uniformity assay
• Viscosity test
• Moisture sorption isotherm

Correct Answer: Content uniformity assay

Q11. Microencapsulation by spray drying is best suited for which type of core material in capsule fillers?

• Highly viscous molten lipids
• Thermally stable solutions or suspensions
• Large fragile crystals
• Gas-filled microbubbles

Correct Answer: Thermally stable solutions or suspensions

Q12. Which lubricant is most commonly used in capsule filling to reduce powder adhesion to metal surfaces?

• Magnesium stearate
• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose
• Lactose

Correct Answer: Magnesium stearate

Q13. In microencapsulation for taste masking inside capsules, which shell material provides good film-forming and barrier properties?

• Sucrose
• Ethyl cellulose or enteric polymers
• Calcium carbonate
• Silica gel

Correct Answer: Ethyl cellulose or enteric polymers

Q14. Which property of the powder blend is most directly improved by adding a binder during granulation prior to capsule filling?

• Solubility
• Mechanical strength of granules
• Color uniformity
• pH of the formulation

Correct Answer: Mechanical strength of granules

Q15. Which capsule sealing method provides tamper-evidence and is used for unit dose security?

• Banding (heat-sealed polymer band)
• Loose cap assembly
• Using larger capsule size
• Applying powder lubricant only

Correct Answer: Banding (heat-sealed polymer band)

Q16. For hygroscopic active ingredients, what strategy is commonly used in capsule formulation to enhance stability?

• Use of high-moisture gelatin shells
• Incorporation of desiccants and moisture-resistant coatings or use of softgel with suitable oil
• Increasing disintegrant levels
• Reduction of fill weight only

Correct Answer: Incorporation of desiccants and moisture-resistant coatings or use of softgel with suitable oil

Q17. Which of the following is a critical quality attribute specifically for soft gelatin capsules?

• Fill powder particle size distribution
• Shell elasticity and seal integrity
• Capsule cap length
• Granule friability

Correct Answer: Shell elasticity and seal integrity

Q18. When formulating high-dose poorly compressible powders into capsules, which approach helps achieve uniform fill without overfilling?

• Use of moisture-sensitive gelatin only
• Granulation to increase bulk density and improve flow
• Reducing capsule size
• Eliminating glidants

Correct Answer: Granulation to increase bulk density and improve flow

Q19. What is the main disadvantage of using large amounts of magnesium stearate in capsule fills?

• Improves dissolution excessively
• Leads to hydrophobic surfaces and can reduce dissolution rate
• Increases microbiological contamination
• Causes immediate disintegration

Correct Answer: Leads to hydrophobic surfaces and can reduce dissolution rate

Q20. Which analytical test is commonly performed to detect cross-linking in gelatin capsule shells?

• pH measurement
• Disintegration test showing delayed or incomplete disintegration
• Loss on drying only
• Viscosity of the fill material

Correct Answer: Disintegration test showing delayed or incomplete disintegration

Q21. For oily or liquid fills in hard capsules, which technique helps prevent leakage and improve stability?

• Using high doses of disintegrant
• Using suitable liners, sealing technologies or converting to softgel
• Exposing capsules to high humidity
• Eliminating all excipients

Correct Answer: Using suitable liners, sealing technologies or converting to softgel

Q22. Which formulation variable most influences the ease of encapsulating a powder blend on high-speed rotary capsule machines?

• Ambient office lighting
• Powder flow properties and bulk density consistency
• Color of the capsule shell
• Supplier brand of gelatin only

Correct Answer: Powder flow properties and bulk density consistency

Q23. What is the role of plasticizers in soft gelatin capsule shells?

• To increase shell brittleness
• To enhance shell flexibility and prevent cracking
• To act as preservatives
• To increase active drug potency

Correct Answer: To enhance shell flexibility and prevent cracking

Q24. Which coating approach on pellets filled into capsules is commonly used to achieve modified release?

• Coating with sugar syrup
• Functional polymer coatings with controlled permeability (e.g., ethylcellulose)
• Coating with talc only
• Coating with lactose

Correct Answer: Functional polymer coatings with controlled permeability (e.g., ethylcellulose)

Q25. Which procedure is essential to confirm that excipients and the drug substance are compatible before capsule formulation?

• Stability-indicating compatibility (stress) studies and DSC/FTIR analysis
• Visual color matching only
• Only assessing dissolution of excipients
• Assuming compatibility based on supplier statements

Correct Answer: Stability-indicating compatibility (stress) studies and DSC/FTIR analysis

Q26. Which capsule size code corresponds approximately to the smallest commonly used hard gelatin capsule size?

• 000
• 0
• 5
• 3

Correct Answer: 5

Q27. In taste-masked pellet-in-capsule systems, what is the primary mechanism for taste masking?

• Using bitter-tasting excipients
• Physical barrier coatings that prevent drug release in the mouth
• Adding extra sweeteners to the capsule shell
• Increasing capsule size to hide taste

Correct Answer: Physical barrier coatings that prevent drug release in the mouth

Q28. Which manufacturing control is most crucial to prevent microbial contamination of gelatin-based capsules?

• High-speed mixing only
• Controlled humidity, good manufacturing practices, and microbial limits for raw materials
• Adding excess lubricant
• Using colored capsules only

Correct Answer: Controlled humidity, good manufacturing practices, and microbial limits for raw materials

Q29. Which parameter is measured by the disintegration test for capsules?

• Total drug potency
• Time taken for capsule shell and contents to break down under specified conditions
• Color uniformity of the capsule
• Shell thickness only

Correct Answer: Time taken for capsule shell and contents to break down under specified conditions

Q30. What is a common strategy to formulate poorly soluble drugs into capsules to enhance bioavailability?

• Use of micronization, solid dispersions, lipid-based formulations, or nanoparticulate systems
• Only increasing capsule shell thickness
• Eliminating all excipients
• Reducing capsule size without formulation changes

Correct Answer: Use of micronization, solid dispersions, lipid-based formulations, or nanoparticulate systems

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