Development of a lipid bioactive-loaded bigel food system for elderly individuals with dysphagia
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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs
Published on: July 27, 2022
Lihua Jin1, Shengnan Zhang1, Lu Gao1
1Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710127, China.
Abstract:
The global increase in the elderly population has led to a rising incidence of dysphagia, posing serious risks to nutritional intake and quality of life. This study developed a novel bigel system for dysphagic elderly individuals, composed of a guar gum hydrogel and a glycerol monostearate/β-sitosterol oleogel. The bigel exhibits a swallowing-friendly texture and effectively encapsulates lipophilic bioactives such as curcumin. Results showed that the hydrogel-to-oleogel ratio strongly influenced the bigel's microstructure and physicochemical properties. By adjusting this ratio, the bigel could be tailored to meet Level 4 or Level 5 texture requirements of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI). Moreover, the optimized formulation significantly improved the bioaccessibility of curcumin, highlighting its potential as a delivery system for hydrophobic compounds. Overall, this work provides a promising strategy for designing functional foods aimed at improving nutrition and swallowing safety in elderly individuals with dysphagia.
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