Engineering phytosterol-based oleogels for potential application as sustainable petrolatum replacement.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Petrolatum, a petroleum byproduct, is widely used in various industries but raises environmental concerns.
• Oleogels, structured liquids within a gel network, are being explored as sustainable alternatives.
• Phytosterol-based oleogels offer a promising avenue due to their natural origin and tunable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer phytosterol-based oleogels in edible oils as sustainable replacements for petrolatum.
• To investigate the influence of composition on oleogel properties, including viscosity and thixotropy.
• To evaluate the suitability of these oleogels for applications requiring occlusive and textural properties.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of oleogels using phytosterols and monoglycerides in various edible oils.
• Tuning of oleogelator concentration (8-20%) and selection of surface-active molecules and oils.
• Characterization of rheological properties (viscosity, thixotropy), thermal reversibility, water vapor occlusion, and wettability.

Main Results:

• Phytosterol-based oleogels were successfully engineered in edible oils, forming a crystal network structure.
• Oleogel viscosity and thixotropic behavior were tunable by adjusting phytosterol/monoglyceride concentrations and oil types.
• The developed oleogels exhibited favorable water vapor occlusion, wettability, texture, and thermal reversibility, comparable to commercial petrolatum.

Conclusions:

• Natural phytosterol-oleogels in edible oils represent a novel and sustainable green alternative to petrolatum.
• These oleogels possess tunable properties and desirable characteristics for various industrial applications.
• The findings support the potential of phytosterol-based oleogels as environmentally friendly replacements for petroleum-derived ingredients.