Viscosity and Non-Newtonian Features of Thickened Fluids Used for Dysphagia Therapy

Cassava starch as a stabilizer of soy-based beverages

Soy-based beverages are presented as healthy food alternatives for human nutrition. Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) starch is relatively inexpensive, widely available in Brazil and is broadly used by the food industry due to its desired properties that result from pasting. The objective of this study was to develop soy-based beverages with good sensory quality using native cassava starch as a stabilizer and maintaining the nutritional value that makes this product a functional food. The developed formulations featured a range of cassava starch and soybean extract concentrations, which were tested in a 2² experimental design with three central points. The results of sensory analysis showed that the studied variables (cassava starch and soybean extract concentrations) did not have a significant effect with respect to a 5% probability level. When considering the apparent viscosity, on the other hand, the variables had a significant effect: the increase in soybean extract and cassava starch concentrations caused an increase in the viscosity of the final product. The profile of isoflavones in the tested formulations was similar to the profiles reported in other papers, with a predominance of the conjugated glycosides over the aglycone forms.

A portable self-sensing rheometer for investigation and therapy of swallowing disorders

Dysphagia is a medical condition in which the safety or efficiency of eating and drinking is compromised. Thin, watery fluids flow too quickly through the oral anatomy during an abnormal swallow, pre-empting airway protective mechanisms, and potentially resulting in fluid entry into the lung. Dysphagia therapy consists of reducing flow speed during swallowing by increasing fluid viscosity using thickeners. Bolus viscosity must be specified and presented to the patient within a well-defined range for effective therapy. Thickeners produce non-Newtonian fluids, rendering current subjective methods for fluid assessment unreliable. Widespread quantification of fluid viscosity is presently impractical as rheometers are costly and complicated to use. Alternative techniques also have disadvantages such as operation at shear rates inappropriate to fluid use. A simple and inexpensive rheometer has been constructed to remedy this situation using a self-sensing electromagnetic actuator. This avoids the need for separate force and displacement sensors, with benefits for simplicity and robustness. The actuator and fluid interface were designed for viscosities consistent with those used for dysphagia therapy. The self-sensing rheometer was found to be able to resolve the different dynamic viscosities obtained from three commonly used therapeutic fluid consistency levels in close agreement with results from a reference laboratory rheometer. Widespread use of the rheometer could remove the subjectivity of fluid assessment, increasing accuracy of fluid specification and therapy across all consistencies and fluid types.