嚥下困難の高齢者向け脂質活性成分含有ビゲル食品システムの開発

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.