Polysaccharide-based oleogels prepared with an emulsion-templated approach

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Oleogels are lipid-based materials gaining interest as alternatives to saturated fats.
• Developing structured oleogels with desirable rheological properties remains a key challenge.
• Polysaccharides offer versatile structuring capabilities for oleogel formation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel oleogels using a combination of surface-active and non-surface-active polysaccharides.
• To investigate the microstructure and rheological properties of the resulting emulsion-templated oleogels.
• To explore the potential of cellulose derivatives and xanthan gum in oleogel structuring.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a concentrated oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by cellulose derivatives and xanthan gum.
• Selective evaporation of the continuous water phase to induce polysaccharide network formation.
• Characterization of oleogel microstructure and rheological properties (gel strength, shear sensitivity, thixotropy, thermostability).

Main Results:

• Successful preparation of oleogels using an emulsion-templated approach with polysaccharide combinations.
• The resulting oleogels displayed a unique microstructure.
• Exhibited excellent rheological properties: high gel strength (G'>4000 Pa), shear sensitivity, good thixotropic recovery, and good thermostability.

Conclusions:

• The combination of surface-active and non-surface-active polysaccharides effectively structures oleogels via an emulsion-templated method.
• The developed oleogels possess desirable properties for potential applications requiring structured lipids.
• This approach offers a promising route for creating advanced oleogel systems with tunable characteristics.