From basil seed gum-monoglyceride bigel to bigel-based foamed emulsion: Development, characterization, and...

This study developed and characterized a bigel-based foamed emulsion (BFE) composed of monoglyceride oleogel (80 %) and basil seed gum (BSG) hydrogel (20 %) with 0-0.5 % BSG, and applied to replace shortening in muffins. BSG addition enhanced bigel mechanical strength so that compared with the BSG-free sample, the 0.3 % BSG sample exhibited the highest hardness (37.73 vs. 30.08 g), adhesiveness (1.69 vs. 1.31mJ), and G'_1Hz (6575.9 vs. 2001.8 Pa). Raising BSG level also enhanced the phase stability (72.15-74.72 %). Foamed emulsions, prepared by whipping the bigel, showed pseudoplastic behavior (n = 0.13-0.15) with G'_1Hz rising from 9211.6 Pa (0 % BSG) to 14,015.3 Pa (0.1 % BSG). Thermal stability improved substantially, as melting enthalpy increased from 116.15 J g^-1(0 % BSG) to 231.29 J g^-1 (0.5 % BSG). BFE overrun decreased with higher BSG content (83.80 % to 71.48 %), but mean bubble diameter remained fine (13.11-14.33 μm). In muffin trials, BFEs containing 0 or 0.5 % BSG replaced shortening at 50 % and 100 % levels without impairing batter specific gravity (0.82-0.87 vs. 0.85) or baked product quality, including morphology (height: 53.05-55.52 vs. 55.60 mm), porosity (15.65-15.90 % vs. 14.08 %), specific volume (2.78-2.95 vs. 2.95 mL g^-1), moisture (19.62-20.2 vs. 20.04 %), color (crust: ∆E < 6.50, crumb: ∆E < 3.35), and texture (hardness: 525.22-565.74vs. 595.50 g; springiness: 10.28-10.64vs. 10.61 mm), so that BSG-containing BFEs more effectively reproduced the functional roles of shortening than BSG-free formulations. These results highlight the effectiveness of BSG in reinforcing BFEs and support their application as nutritionally improved fat replacers in bakery products.