[Natural biopolymers as excipients in medicinal product dosage form. Part I. Soft gelatin capsules as a modern and elegant pharmaceutical dosage form].

Soft gelatin capsules (Softgels) are modern and effective pharmaceutical dosage form for the administration of many medicinal products and food supplements formulations. In this short article major advantages and disadvantages of soft gelatin capsules are reviewed. Each step of manufacturing focused on fundamental techniques and requirements for developing and manufacturing technology for soft gelatin capsules is provided. Main role, characteristics, raw material, manufacturing techniques and applications in dosage form of gelatin is discussed. The review of recent advances in softgels are also included.