Abstract
With an aging society, the number of people with dysphagia has increased. Patients with dysphagia not only find it difficult to eat and drink, but also to take oral medications. Swallowing aid foods, such as deglutition aid jellies and food thickeners are often used to help patients take oral medications. However, the inappropriate use of swallowing aids can decrease the pharmacological activity of the medications. Yogurt is nutritious and easy for patients with dysphagia to eat. Although yogurt is sometimes used to help take medications, its influence on them is poorly understood. In this study, we compared the physical properties and the effects of yogurt on disintegration and dissolution profiles of various oral tablets with those of deglutition aid jelly and xanthan gum-based food thickener. Yogurt and food thickener were found to extend the disintegration time of several tablets, but it remained within a few minutes. Although dissolution of magnesium oxide tablets decreased by 6%, 14%, and 25% after immersion in deglutition aid jelly, food thickener, and yogurt, respectively at 15 min, this decrease reduced with time. Rheological measurements showed that yogurt and food thickeners exhibited a weak gel structure and therefore had better fluidity than deglutition aid jelly. The viscosity and adhesiveness of yogurt were higher than those of food thickener, which delayed tablet disintegration and reduced the dissolution rate. However, these effects were not large. Yogurt may be a useful swallowing aid for patients with dysphagia taking oral medications.
Quantitative trait loci for sorghum grain morphology and quality traits: Toward breeding for a traditional food preparation of West-Africa
