Patients with dysphagia have difficulty swallowing oral medications. Swallowing aid foods, such as deglutition aid jellies and food thickeners, are often used to help such patients take oral medications. Yogurt is occasionally used to help swallow medications. It is also advantageous as it is nutritious and easy to swallow. However, the influence of yogurt on the pharmacokinetics of oral medications is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to evaluate yogurt as a potential swallowing aid for the intake of oral tablets, by comparing the physical properties and effects of yogurt on disintegration and dissolution profiles of various oral tablets with deglutition aid jelly and xanthan gum‐based food thickener. Yogurt and the food thickener were found to extend the disintegration time of several tablets; however, this increase was unremarkable. 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 impact on dissolution reduced over time (dissolution rates of all samples at 120 min were over 90%). Rheological measurements showed that yogurt and food thickeners have a weak gel structure and therefore have better fluidity than deglutition aid jelly. The adhesiveness and dynamic viscosity of yogurt were higher than those of the food thickener, which delayed tablet disintegration and reduced the dissolution rate. However, these effects were not substantial. We can thus conclude that yogurt may be a useful swallowing aid for patients with deglutition disorders who take oral medications.
Deglutition aid foods are used to help patients with dysphagia take oral medications. Yoghurt is occasionally used to help swallow medications; however, its influence on pharmacokinetics is poorly understood. Yoghurt made with Lactococcus cremoris subsp. cremoris FC has a characteristic viscous texture that facilitates bolus formation and deglutition due to its metabolite exopolysaccharide. We assessed yoghurt prepared with L. cremoris FC as a food deglutition aid. We performed a dissolution test using famotidine powder mixed with yoghurt and a food thickener. Famotidine dissolution rates without deglutition-assisting foods and with yoghurt or food thickener were 102.3 ± 1.7, 85.7 ± 4.6, and 46.4 ± 1.1% after 15 min, respectively. Next, we orally administered famotidine powder with water, yoghurt, and food thickener to rats and measured plasma famotidine levels. We observed no significant differences between all test groups. The Tmax of famotidine mixed with a food thickener was significantly lower than that with yoghurt. These results suggest that yoghurt with L. cremoris FC did not remarkably affect the dissolution and pharmacokinetic profiles of famotidine powder. Thus, the administration of famotidine with yoghurt might be a suitable alternative to powder administration as a deglutition aid for patients.
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.
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