Deterioration of swallowing function leads to the risk of aspiration pneumonia mortality. In elderly persons, decreased secretion of substance P (SP) from the oral and bronchial mucosae can lead to reduced swallowing function. Capsaicin has been reported to increase SP secretion and enhance swallowing function. We formulated orally disintegrating (OD) tablets consisting primarily of ginger, which contains the same vanillin derivatives as capsaicin, and performed pharmaceutical evaluation and a clinical study to assess the effect of ginger on swallowing function. OD tablets containing ginger increased the amount of SP in saliva immediately after oral ingestion, and showed a significantly higher concentration of SP in saliva between 15 and 120 min after oral ingestion as compared to placebo. Our results suggest that OD tablets containing ginger are likely to increase the amount of SP in saliva after oral ingestion and enhance swallowing function.
