Elderberry Functional Gum and Cognitive & Oral Health in Older Adults

Participants receive a functional chewing gum containing encapsulated elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) anthocyanins standardized for cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside. The gum is formulated to be geriatric-friendly (soft, low-elasticity) and is administered twice daily for 6 weeks. It enables transmucosal polyphenol delivery through buccal absorption.

Participants receive a placebo chewing gum identical in appearance, taste, and texture to the active gum but containing no elderberry anthocyanins or bioactive compounds. The gum is administered twice daily for 6 weeks to match the intervention group.