Sensory Analysis of Edible Gels Enriched with Bioactive Compounds Intended for the Nutrition of Seniors
Keywords:
edible gels, geroprotective substances, nootropics, seniors, development of new food products, sensory analysisAbstract
Edible gels are a promising form of functional food suitable for seniors, who often face difficulties with swallowing and insufficient nutrient intake. Their structure allows for the incorporation of bioactive compounds with good gastrointestinal absorption and subsequent health benefits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensory acceptability of prototypes of edible gels enriched with bioactive substances and to propose recipe optimisation. Curcumin, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, was selected as the model bioactive compound. The gel matrices were prepared using two polysaccharides, arabinogalactan or beta-glucan and two flavours (apple pulp or vanilla). Each variant was produced in two versions, without bioactive substances or with added curcumin resulting in eight samples. The samples were stored at 4 °C and equilibrated to room temperature for 2 hours before evaluation. Eighty senior participants (40 in Slovakia, 40 in the Czech Republic) aged 65 and over took part in the sensory evaluation, assessing anonymised samples presented in random order. The evaluation was conducted in accordance with ISO 8589:2007 guidelines, using descriptive analysis with a 9-point hedonic scale (1 = very poor, 9 = very good). The results showed that edible gels represent a promising platform for the application of geroprotective agents for seniors. Arabinogalactan in combination with fruit flavours proved to be the best accepted matrix, while beta-glucan and curcumin require technological interventions to improve the sensory profile. From a practical point of view, these results are relevant for the development of new functional foods intended for the aging population.
References
Aggarwal, B. B., Kumar, A., & Bharti, A. C. (2003). Anticancer potential of curcumin: preclinical and clinical studies. Anticancer Research, 23(1A), 363–398.
Blagosklonny, M. V. (2013). Rapamycin extends life- and healthspan because it slows aging. Aging, 5(8), 592–598. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.100591
Clegg, M. E., Methven, L., Lanham-New, S. A., Green, M. A., Duggal, N. A., & Hetherington, M. M. (2023). The Food4Years Ageing Network: Improving foods and diets as a strategy for supporting quality of life, independence and healthspan in older adults. Nutrition Bulletin, 48(1), 124–133. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12599
Chen, J., Lee, A. J., & Zhu, S. (2021). Age-related changes in taste and its implications for food preference and health. Appetite, 163, 105236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105236
Dai, J., & Mumper, R. J. (2010). Plant phenolics: extraction, analysis and their antioxidant and anticancer properties. Molecules, 15(10), 7313–7352. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules15107313
Gupta, S. C., Patchva, S., Koh, W., & Aggarwal, B. B. (2013). Discovery of curcumin, a component of golden spice, and its miraculous biological activities. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 39(3), 283–299. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1681.2011.05648.x
Kaur, S., Das, M., & Dey, K. (2019). Functional foods: An overview. Food Reviews International, 35(7), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10068-011-0121-7
Khoury, D. E., Cuda, C., Luhovyy, B. L., & Anderson, G. H. (2012). Beta glucan: health benefits in obesity and metabolic syndrome. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2012, 851362. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/851362
Methven, L., Allen, V. J., Withers, C. A., & Gosney, M. A. (2012). Ageing and taste. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 71(4), 556–565. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665112000743
Mojet, J., Heidema, J., & Christ-Hazelhof, E. (2003). Taste perception with age: Generic or specific losses in threshold sensitivity to the five basic tastes? Chemical Senses, 28(5), 397–413. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/28.5.397
Shepherd, R. (2001). Consumer attitudes and food acceptance. In J. Delarue (Ed.), Sensory Issues in Food Choice (pp. 124–141). Springer.
Singh, J., Kanojia, R., & Tyagi, M. (2014). Template Synthesis And Spectral Studies Of Biologically Active Ni(II), And Cu(II) Transition Metal Complexes Of Tetradentate Aza-Oxo (N2O2) Macrocyclic Ligand. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 47, 3903–3911. https://doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.5(9).3903-11
Smith, A., Johnson, B., & Davis, C. (2021). The Impact of Digital Transformation on Managerial Roles. Journal of Management Innovation, 42, 57–78.
Sura, L., Madhavan, A., Carnaby, G., & Crary, M. (2012). Dysphagia in the elderly: management and nutritional considerations. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 7, 287–298. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S23404
Szymańska, E., Nowak, P., Kolmus, K., Cybulska, M., Goryca, K., Derezińska-Wołek, E., Szumera-Ciećkiewicz, A., Brewińska-Olchowik, M., Grochowska, A., Piwocka, K., Prochorec-Sobieszek, M., Mikula, M., & Miączyńska, M. (2020). Synthetic lethality between VPS4A and VPS4B triggers an inflammatory response in colorectal cancer. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 12(2), e10812. https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201910812
Verbeke, W. (2005). Consumer acceptance of functional foods: socio-demographic, cognitive and attitudinal determinants. Food Quality and Preference, 16(1), 45–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2004.01.001
Vetvicka, V., & Vannucci, L. (2019). β-glucan as a new tool in vaccine development. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, 90(5), e12753. https://doi.org/10.1111/sji.12753
Zhang, H., Zhang, X., Bao, C., Li, X., Sun, D. et al. (2018). Direct microencapsulation of pure polyamine by integrating microfluidic emulsion and interfacial polymerization for practical self-healing materials. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 6, 24092–24099. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8TA08324J
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jana Žemberyová, Vladimír Vietoris, Martina Gažarová
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
