Abstract/Summary

Mucoadhesives are used to enhance drug permeability and retention at mucosal membranes in the body. This is achieved by the adherence of a pharmaceutical dosage form to a mucosal membrane through interactions between a mucoadhesive material and the mucosa. Many polysaccharides (PSs) used in the food industry as thickeners, emulsifiers, stabilisers and fat replacers are also used as mucoadhesives in the pharmaceutical industry. This overlap of use has provoked an interest in utilising these PSs to modulate the organoleptic properties of food. This work aimed to elucidate the role of mucoadhesion in the organoleptic properties of simple food systems. Mucoadhesive PSs were either in an aqueous solution or cast into films containing flavour compounds. A novel method for assessing mucoadhesion for liquid formulations was developed using fluorescence microscopy with labelled and unlabelled PS. Time intensity and progressive profiling sensory experiments were employed to assess the impact of mucoadhesives on flavour perception in liquid and solid model food matrices. A range of in vitro tests were used to assess various properties of PS films loaded with flavourings such as texture analysis, dissolution and swelling ratios in order to explain perception results. Finally, a selected mucoadhesive (carboxymethyl cellulose) was incorporated into popcorn seasoning and sensory perception changes were assessed. This body of work describes method development to assess the mucoadhesive strength of PSs, shows that mucoadhesive PSs in solution prolong the retention of a model tastant in the oral cavity and controls delivery and thus perception of flavour from solid polymeric materials, and describes an attempt to incorporate a mucoadhesive PSs in a snack food formulation.