Lipid self-assembled structures for reactivity control in food

Area of Science:

• Food chemistry
• Colloid and surface science
• Materials science

Background:

• Lipid self-assembled structures (SASs) are explored for nutrient delivery and protein crystallization.
• Their potential to control chemical reactions in food remains underexploited.
• Phospholipids (PLs) and monoglycerides (MGs) are natural surfactants ideal for food applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the phase behavior of PL and MG based SASs with oil and water.
• To evaluate the influence of these SASs on oxidation and Maillard-type reactions.
• To demonstrate the enhancement of aroma compound formation using MG-based SASs.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of phase behavior for lipid-water-oil systems.
• Analysis of oxidation and Maillard reaction kinetics within SASs.
• Comparison of reaction yields in SASs versus aqueous solutions.

Main Results:

• Phase diagrams for amphiphile-oil-water mixtures were established.
• SASs influence the rates of oxidation and Maillard reactions.
• MG-based SASs, particularly reversed microemulsions, significantly increased key aroma compound yields.

Conclusions:

• Lipid SASs offer a novel approach to controlling food reactions.
• MG-based reversed microemulsions are efficient reaction systems for food.
• This work highlights the potential of SASs for enhancing flavor development in food products.