Developing enteral feeding formulations for liver cirrhosis patients with different protein sources, rheological characterization, and safety evaluation of these formulations

This study describes a formulation and laboratory-based characterization of enteral formulations. The protein and energy values of both formulations, TF1 (17 g protein, 160 kcal/200 mL) and TF2 (10 g protein, 369 kcal/200 mL), showed good nutritional compliance. The mineral analysis was found calcium (50 mg/L), magnesium (61 mg/L), and phosphorus (329 mg/L). The variations in BCAA (3.65 g/200 mL in TF1 and 3.05 g/200 mL in TF2) and aromatic amino acids (1.95 g/200 mL in TF1 and 1.20 g/200 mL in TF2) were measured. The Fischer ratios (BCAA:AAA) were 1.87 for TF1 and 2.44 for TF2, indicating favorable amino acid profiles. Rheological evaluation demonstrated viscosities of 1,200 ± 1.2 to 800 ± 1.3 mPa·s (TF1) and 800 ± 0.9 to 550 ± 0.8 mPa·s (TF2) between 20 °C and 37 °C, indicating stable formulations for enteral tube feeding. The analysis confirmed their potential suitability for supporting liver health.