Lonza Capsugel’s Licaps Duocap demonstrates up to four times higher enzyme activity in the gut

Lonza Capsugel has published research on its Licaps Duocap capsule-in-capsule technology, demonstrating its ability to target delivery and improve protection of acid-sensitive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract (GI). 

The study was conducted in partnership with ProDigest, a Belgium-based preclinical contract research organization.

The research emphasizes the impact of dual-release capsule technologies in creating opportunities for product development and strengthens the importance of delivery choices for nutraceutical products.

“This study further reinforces the robustness and reliability of our Licaps Duocap capsule-in-capsule technology, providing independent, peer-reviewed validation of its ability to deliver sensitive ingredients to targeted regions of the GI tract,” says lead author of the study, Dr. Elnaz Karimian Azari, senior manager of R&D at Lonza Capsugel.

“While this work focused on release in the upper small intestine, it builds on a growing body of evidence demonstrating that Licaps Duocap capsules can protect and transport ingredients like live probiotics all the way to the colon, where they are needed to achieve optimal performance.”

Azari also highlights the importance of capsule selection for the success and effectiveness of nutraceutical products, stressing that “delivery really does matter.”

Zooming in on digestive enzymes

The study, published in Pharmaceuticals, used the Stimulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME) in vitro model to compare multiple formulations and capsule technologies under digestive conditions.

When the Licaps Duocaps were taken with food, they showed superior protection and targeted release profiles.The SHIME model is a technology that combines the simulation of physiological, chemical, and microbiological properties of the GI tract.

The capsules contained pancreatin — an acid-sensitive digestive system enzyme that converts from tributyrin to butyrate in the upper small intestine — and caffeine as a marker of capsule dissolution.

The research team assessed five capsule formulations for dissolution timing, enzyme activity, and ingredient protection. Two of those were single capsule types, and the remaining three were Licaps Duocap. They focused on the upper small intestines where the digestive enzymes are the most effective.

The study found that when the Licaps Duocaps were taken with food, they showed a superior protection and targeted release profiles, “with caffeine released at the end of the duodenum and/or jejunum and a high butyrate recovery, ranging from 53% to 87%,” explains the company.

They saw a four times higher enzyme activity in the small intestine when compared to capsules with standard immediate-release. 

Additionally, the single capsule immediate-release format released high content in the stomach, which was observed by the low butyrate recovery in the upper small intestine by 16–21%. 

“This suggests gastric degradation of the unprotected enzyme, meaning that the intended delivery was significantly impaired when compared to the Licaps Duocap capsule-in-capsule technology,” says Lonza.