Gelation properties and swallowing characteristics of Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis powders/konjac glucomannan composite gels as dysphagia food.

Hydrocolloids are often employed as texture modifiers for the preparation of protein-based dysphagia diets. This study investigated the effects of different konjac glucomannan (KGM) concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40 mg/mL) on the gel properties and swallowing characteristics of Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis powders/konjac glucomannan (SPs/KGM) composite gels. The G' of SPs/KGM composite gels increased by 418.8-fold to 2226.9-fold compared to the controls, demonstrating a concentration-dependent enhancement. A relatively high KGM content progressively weakened the structural stability of SPs/KGM composite gels under large strains, facilitating oral breakdown and swallowing. Moreover, a 3.4-fold increase in water-holding capacity and a shift in T23 relaxation times from 439.8 ms to 303.8 ms were observed in the SPs/KGM-40 composite gels compared to pure SPs gels. These functional improvements were attributed to denser, more homogeneous microstructures stabilized by increased hydrophobic interactions and ionic bonds, with increased percentage of 37.5%-100% in compared to the control group. Additionally, structural modification of the proteins in SPs was evidenced by the increase in α-helix content from 16.1% to 23.0% at the expense of random coils and β-turn. The SPs/KGM-40 composite gels could be classified as level 5 with characteristics of no biting and minimal chewing according to the IDDSI test. This study provides valuable insight into the development of SPs-based dysphagia diets with both nutritional fortification and improved chewing and swallowing textures.