Yoghurt as a deglutition aid for oral medication: effects on famotidine powder dissolution rate and pharmacokinetics

Deglutition aid foods are used to help patients with dysphagia take oral medications. Yoghurt is occasionally used to help swallow medications; however, its influence on pharmacokinetics is poorly understood. Yoghurt made with Lactococcus cremoris subsp. cremoris FC has a characteristic viscous texture that facilitates bolus formation and deglutition due to its metabolite exopolysaccharide. We assessed yoghurt prepared with L. cremoris FC as a food deglutition aid. We performed a dissolution test using famotidine powder mixed with yoghurt and a food thickener. Famotidine dissolution rates without deglutition-assisting foods and with yoghurt or food thickener were 102.3 ± 1.7, 85.7 ± 4.6, and 46.4 ± 1.1% after 15 min, respectively. Next, we orally administered famotidine powder with water, yoghurt, and food thickener to rats and measured plasma famotidine levels. We observed no significant differences between all test groups. The T max of famotidine mixed with a food thickener was significantly lower than that with yoghurt. These results suggest that yoghurt with L. cremoris FC did not remarkably affect the dissolution and pharmacokinetic profiles of famotidine powder. Thus, the administration of famotidine with yoghurt might be a suitable alternative to powder administration as a deglutition aid for patients.