Easier ways to swallow tablets in various forms

To make it easier to give those medicines, researchers have created a drug-delivering gel that is much easier to swallow and could be used to administer a variety of different kinds of drugs. The study is published in Science Advances journal.

The gels, made from plant-based oils such as sesame oil, can be prepared with a variety of textures, from a thickened beverage to a yogurt-like substance. The gels are stable without refrigeration, which could make them easier to get to children.They could also help adults who have difficulty swallowing pills, such as older people or people who have suffered a stroke.

The researchers explored several types of plant-derived oils, including sesame oil, cottonseed oil, and flaxseed oil. They combined the oils with edible gelling agents such as beeswax and rice bran wax, and found that they could achieve different textures depending on the concentration and type of oil and gelling agent. Some gels end up with a texture similar to that of a thick beverage, like a protein shake, while others are more like yogurt or pudding.