Mucoadhesive polysaccharides modulate sodium retention, release and taste perception

Sarah L Cook,Samuel Woods,Lisa Methven,Jane K Parker,Vitaliy V Khutoryanskiy

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.07.134

Abstract

The mucoadhesion between polymeric substances and mucosal membranes, widely exploited in the pharmaceutics industry to prolong drug residence, has been investigated as a means of retaining taste or aroma molecules in the oral cavity. This study shows that the mucoadhesive properties of carboxymethyl cellulose, a commonly used polysaccharide in the food and pharmaceutics industry, can modify retention, release and perception of sodium over time. A three-part study was designed coupling in vitro retention using ex vivo porcine tongue, sensory perception with a trained panel and in vivo retention of sodium ions in human volunteers. The findings suggest that although salt perception is stunted in samples containing a random coil, ionic, mucoadhesive thickener, the retention of sodium ions in the mouth is prolonged due to the mucoadhesive nature of the polysaccharide. Not only has this study-investigated mucoadhesion of liquid formulations in the oral cavity but it is also the first to link the mucoadhesive nature of a commonly used polysaccharide to the organoleptic properties of a food.

Highlights

IntroductionMucoadhesion describes the adhesive forces between a polymeric substance (a mucoadhesive) and a mucosal membrane in the body
Mucoadhesion describes the adhesive forces between a polymeric substance and a mucosal membrane in the body
The 3 matrices were prepared for all parts of this experiment; they were all aqueous solutions made with deionised water (DW), or deionised water plus sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the mucoadhesive polysaccharide, or an amylase resistant starch (Nutrilis brand, Boots UK Ltd)

Summary

Introduction

Mucoadhesion describes the adhesive forces between a polymeric substance (a mucoadhesive) and a mucosal membrane in the body. The mucoadhesive strength between a polymer and mucosal surface will depend on many factors including the polymer characteristics and the target environment. Mucoadhesives can be incorporated into various formulations such as tablets, patches, films, sprays and viscous liquids containing an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The mucoadhesive polymer excipient can be designed to control the residence time and rate of release of the API. The mechanisms leading to mucoadhesion and the various techniques to assess the mucoadhesion of formulations have been described in the literature Mucoadhesion has not been fully exploited by the food industry as a means of retaining small molecules, such as tastants, at the mucosal surfaces in the mouth

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Results

Conclusion