Why We Use Pullulan Capsules

Pullulan: Hard to pronounce, easy to love.

Pullulan is a natural polysaccharide, which is a complex carbohydrate often found in plant cell walls where it provides structure, or in grains or tubers where it provides energy storage. Polysaccharides are foundational to a healthy diet, and are prevalent in fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices, and grains. Such foods function as prebiotics because they feed and cultivate healthy bacterial populations such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Because of this relationship, pullulan has shown the ability to positively shift the microbiome in scientific studies. This side benefit is another reason we love these capsules.

What is Pullulan?

Due to its properties like non-toxic, non-immunogenic, non-carcinogenic, non-mutagenic, pullulan is being explored for various biomedical applications viz., gene delivery, targeted drug therapy, tissue engineering, wound healing….

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23618305/

Pullulan capsules are part of a new generation of plant-based solutions crafted to meet the needs of today’s discerning consumers. These naturally vegan capsules are made from pullulan, a tasteless, odorless, and biodegradable polymer derived from tapioca through fermentation with the black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans. Designed with a focus on sustainability, these capsules excel in performance, convenience, and eco-friendly sourcing.

The pullulan used in these capsules is sourced from sustainably cultivated tapioca starch and produced via microbial fermentation, without the use of genetically modified organisms or organic solvents, to ensure a high-quality, clean-label product. These capsules provide excellent performance, stability, and clean-label benefits, offering a quick, convenient, and effective delivery system. While the technology behind them may seem seamless, it relies on advanced polymer science to achieve these exceptional results.

Comparative Facts

PROPERTY	HPMC	PULLULAN
Natural/synthetic	Semi-synthetic	Natural
Originating Ingredient	Wood pulp (cellulose) and chemical solvents	Tapioca or other plant-based starches
Manufacturing Method	A chemical modification of the basic cellulose molecule. First it is reacted with Methyl chloride and then with propylene oxide to form HPMC	Fermentation of a naturally occurring yeast
Organic Compliance	Not authorized in ANY organic products due to the fact it is semi-synthetic and uses harsh chemicals	Okay to use in organic products
Manufacturing Performance	Requires the use of flow agents due to inferior production properties (splitting, cracking)	Premium performance – comparable to the gold standard of gelatin capsules OWH has never used processing aids/excipients which many manufacturers rely upon
Oxygen permeability	Very permeable to oxygen – causing poorer stability of the ingredients within the capsule	Very impermeable to oxygen – superior stability of the ingredients within the capsule
Prebiotic ability	HPMC is a non-fermentable fiber which may indirectly affect the microbiome	Clinical studies show that pullulan has direct prebiotic benefits in that interacts with the friendly bacteria in the colon
Official ‘no-observed-adverse-effect level’ (NOAEL)**	5000 mg/kg body weight/day from a 90-day feeding study in rats	7900 mg/kg body weight/ day
Official ‘tolerable intake’ upper limit**	5 mg/kg body weight/day: This is equivalent to 350mg for the average 154lb person or approx. three and a half average-sized vegecaps	No upper limit has been specified: Daily 12g doses for two weeks induced an insignificant increase in gastrointestinal symptoms and it was established that the typical exposure of approx. 400mg/kg body weight/day is not a concern

**These are published by the JECFA: an international scientific expert committee administered jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO.

Pullulan: Hard to pronounce, easy to love.

What is Pullulan?

Comparative Facts

PROPERTY

HPMC

PULLULAN