Different Alginate Spherification Methods for Producing Hydrogel Beads Loaded with Vitamins B9 and B12 to Support Hydration in Older Adults with Dysphagia
Aug 2026· Gels· Vol 12, pp. 706· 0 citations· 58 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Frozen direct spherification’s potential to create dysphagia-friendly, high-water-content finger foods that improve hydration, nutrition, and vitamin encapsulation is highlighted.
Abstract
Adequate hydration and nutrition are crucial for preventing health complications and functional decline in older adults, especially those with dysphagia. This study examined the use of direct frozen and reverse spherification, with different residence times, to create alginate-based, high-water-content (>95%) bite-sized structures that are safe to swallow and capable of encapsulating vitamins B9 and B12 for delayed release in the gastrointestinal tract. Residence time notably affected the beads’ microstructure and texture. Reverse-spherified liquid-core beads were soft and stable, maintaining high water content; however, they were not suitable for people with dysphagia because of their uneven texture and water release when compressed or bitten. Conversely, direct frozen spherification yielded solid-core alginate beads with low hardness (77.46–136.25 g), minimal adhesiveness (~11 g·s), good cohesiveness (>0.3), and rheological properties compatible with swallowing. A fiberoptic endoscopic swallowing assessment found that the patients rated these solid-core beads as easy to chew and comfortable to swallow. Over six weeks, vitamin retention was 59.4–79.4% for vitamin B9 and 69.6–97.0% for vitamin B12, with 80–90% released during simulated digestion. These results highlight frozen direct spherification’s potential to create dysphagia-friendly, high-water-content finger foods that improve hydration, nutrition, and vitamin encapsulation.
The feasibility of creating high-protein gel systems suitable for dysphagia patients by adjusting the levels of egg white protein and collagen hydrolysate is examined, offering a viable approach for designing tailored high-protein food formulations for dysphagia.
Deimantė Dagytė, Ieva Bartkuvienė, Evren Gölge et al.· International Journal of Foo...· 0 citations
Biodegradable materials with active and intelligent functionalities have attracted increasing interest as sustainable alternatives to conventional food packaging. This study developed and characterized thermoplastic starch (TPS)/gelatin films containing curcumin (Cur) as a pH-sensitive indicator, tea tree essential oil (TTO) as an active agent, and kombucha bacterial cellulose (KBC) as a natural emulsifier. KBC was purified, dried, and ultrasonicated, producing a heterogeneous micro/nanocellulose suspension (39.1-139.9 nm). The addition of gelatin substantially increased film stiffness, with Young's modulus increasing from 1.06 to 69.10 MPa and elongation at break decreasing from 583.94% to 25.93%, whereas the incorporation of KBC partially restored tensile strength to 2.88 MPa. KBC also improved water resistance by reducing solubility from 23.0% to 10.7% and increasing the water contact angle from 64.4° to 70.6°. The films exhibited a transparency index of approximately 4.0%, intense yellow coloration, and color transition from yellow to orange at pH ≥ 9. Although antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli was limited, TTO increased DPPH radical scavenging activity from 44.75% to 52.55%, and storage tests with chicken samples showed color changes after 7 days of refrigerated storage.
Unknown authors· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
Growing environmental concerns associated with petroleum‐based plastics have intensified the demand for sustainable, biodegradable materials for packaging applications. Sodium alginate is a natural polysaccharide with excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and film‐forming ability; however, its high moisture sensitivity and moderate thermal stability limit its application. In this study, sodium alginate films were produced by solvent casting and ionically cross‐linked with BaCl
2
solutions at concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 5% (w/v) to evaluate the influence of Ba
2+
on their structural, barrier, and thermal properties. The films were characterized by SEM/EDS, FTIR‐ATR, TGA, and measurements of water vapor absorption, swelling, and mass loss. Cross‐linking promoted denser polymer networks, reducing water vapor absorption from 20% ± 0.55% to 10.5% ± 0.56% at 75% relative humidity, while swelling decreased from 40% ± 2.5% to 29% ± 0.9% after 400 min. TGA indicated improved thermal stability, and mass loss after 24 h in water ranged from 11% to 13%. SEM revealed a more compact morphology with crystalline deposits, while FTIR confirmed ionic interactions between alginate carboxylate groups and Ba
2+
ions. Overall, Ba
2+
cross‐linking significantly improved the physicochemical, barrier, and thermal properties of sodium alginate films, highlighting their potential as biodegradable packaging materials.
Sofia de Oliveira Pires, Cristian Berto da Silveira, Aline Fernandes de Oliveira· Journal of Applied Polymer S...· 0 citations
Fruit- and vegetable-derived matrices provide nutrients, bioactive compounds, color, and flavor, but their heterogeneous composition often leads to unstable extrusion and poor shape retention. Previous reviews have generally treated these materials as a single group or summarized formulation strategies without relating matrix form to the mechanisms of print failure. Here, printable materials are organized into pulp-, juice-, and powder-based systems, and the main limitations of each system are traced from tissue disruption, particle and fiber organization, water distribution, acidity, and rehydration to rheological response, network formation, syneresis, and shape fidelity. The roles of xanthan gum, guar gum, pectin, alginate, κ-carrageenan, and carboxymethyl cellulose are then compared in terms of shear-thinning behavior, water immobilization, ionic or thermal gelation, and structural reinforcement. Emphasis is placed on matching hydrocolloid function and composite structuring strategies to the dominant defects of each matrix. By linking composition and multiscale structure with rheology and printing performance, this review offers a mechanistic basis for formulation design and the development of personalized, dysphagia-adapted, and more sustainable fruit- and vegetable-based printed foods.
Hao-Ming Tan, Saisai Guo, Bowen Li et al.· Food Research International· 0 citations
Pre-velveting foods suffer from significant flavor loss and limited shelf life during storage, motivating a demand for multifunctional starch-based carriers. To address this, corn starch (CS)-soy protein isolate (SPI) coacervates with varying CS ratios were fabricated to encapsulate fennel essential oil (FEO), yielding a pre-velveting material with antimicrobial and flavor-enhancing properties. Results indicated that higher CS/SPI ratios (4,1 and 5,1) enhanced viscoelasticity and reduced particle size by forming a dense polysaccharide-protein network that inhibited FEO aggregation compared with the lower ratios. The resulting microcapsules (CSSP4 and CSSP5) similarly demonstrated improved DPPH radical scavenging capacity (59.49% and 56.15%, respectively) and enhanced thermal stability. SEM and XRD confirmed increased cross-linking of CS upon coacervation with SPI, which provided the basis for the improved encapsulation efficiency of FEO via the dense structure, while FTIR and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that this structure was primarily driven by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between CS and SPI, and the starch-protein interface was visualized. Electronic nose combined with GC-MS analyses identified anethole as the primary flavor compound of FEO microcapsules and showed that the stable structure delayed its release, with CSSP4 exhibiting the slowest release due to its higher density. Furthermore, among all formulations, CSSP4 showed the lowest TBARS values and pH increase, as well as the most favorable volatile profile and improved textural properties in cooked chicken cubes. This study presents a novel starch-based carrier designed to improve flavor retention and extend the shelf life of pre-velveting foods.
Hengpeng Wang, Yang Meng, Yiwei Jin et al.· Food Research International· 0 citations
Controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) are increasingly developed to enhance nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and reduce leaching losses in sustainable agriculture. The objective of this study was to developed poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/borate/chitosan hydrogels as a controlled release carrier for potassium chloride (KCl) nutrient. The hydrogel composition was systematically optimized and the formulation with a PVA: borate: chitosan volume ratio of 8:1:5 (with 1 mL of 1 M KCl) exhibited the best structural homogeneity and mechanical integrity. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed hydrogen bonding interactions between PVA and chitosan, as well as possible ionic interactions between K⁺ ions and borate groups, contributing to network stabilization. Compared to PVA/borate-KCl CRF, the chitosan-modified system exhibited significantly higher swelling capacity (750.7% vs. 642.5%), prolonged water retention (234 h vs. 216 h) and a slower, more controlled nutrient release profile. Kinetics analysis showed that the release behaviour was fit described by second-order kinetics model, indicating that the rate-determining step of the release process is the hydration of the ions in the system. The improved performance of the CRF might be attributed to increased network compactness, enhanced intermolecular interactions and higher diffusion resistance within the hydrogel matrix. These findings demonstrated that the incorporation of chitosan effectively enhances both structural stability and release kinetics control of PVA/borate hydrogels, highlighting their potential as environmentally friendly matrices for sustainable potassium fertilizer delivery.
Zakiah Dzulummah, Hendrawan Hendrawan, H. A. Aziz et al.· International Research Journ...· 0 citations
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