Group customization also allows companies to offer products that are more affordable and accessible to a wider range of customers
- The Role of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose in Nutritional Supplements
This drug may interact with other drugs or health problems.
The Solution
- One of the key advantages of HPMC is its biocompatibility and safety for human use. It is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and environmentally friendly, making it a preferred choice for many industries. Its inert nature ensures that it does not react with other ingredients or cause adverse effects on the end-users.
What is HPMC?
Potential side effects:
Chemical composition and origin
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is produced by treating natural cellulose with methyl chloride and propylene oxide. Cellulose, the basis of HPMC, is an organic compound found in the cell walls of plants, giving HPMC its plant origin. During the production process, hydroxypropyl and methyl groups are added to the cellulose chain. This chemical process improves the solubility of HPMC in cold water and increases its gelation temperature, making it particularly useful in applications requiring thermal stability.
Comparison with other thickeners
Compared to other thickeners such as gelatin, which is of animal origin, HPMC offers a crucial advantage: it is 100% vegetable. This not only makes HPMC suitable for vegetarians and vegans, but also offers significant advantages in terms of stability and shelf life. HPMC is less susceptible to microbial degradation than gelatin, which is especially important for nutritional supplements and medications that require storage in various climates and conditions. In addition, HPMC is resistant to pH fluctuations. While gelatin can break down or lose its effectiveness at different pH levels, HPMC maintains its stability over a wide pH range, making it an excellent choice for formulations that require consistent performance regardless of the acidic or basic conditions in which they are used .
(2)Physical property:

hydroxyethyl cellulose thickening mechanism. Additionally, HEC solutions are temperature-dependent, with higher temperatures leading to a decrease in viscosity due to the weakening of hydrogen bonds between the polymer chains.
But, there are some potential disadvantages that are not immediately obvious. HPMC is listed as a food ingredient — E464 — which means that recommended daily maximum quantities must be defined. HPMC undergoes a rigorous manufacturing process involving the synthetic — and not natural — alteration of cellulose. During production, various highly reactive, harmful or toxic substances are used that must be removed and disposed after production, including propylene oxide (which is considered to be carcinogenic) and chloromethane.
