Excessive dietary salt intake leads to health issues, while reducing NaCl content compromises flavor. Therefore, identifying methods to decrease salt levels without sacrificing flavor is crucial. This study investigated the sensory interaction between the saltiness of NaCl and the pungency of Litsea oleoresin. Glyceryl monostearate (6.6%) and soy lecithin (4.4%) were used as gelling agents to create oleogels, which were then employed to immobilize NaCl nanocrystals, optimizing sensory interactions. NaCl nanocrystals (427.73 ± 61.98 nm) were encapsulated in a Litsea oleoresin-sunflower seed oleogel system with uniform distribution. Sensory evaluation indicated that the NaCl nanocrystal/Litsea oleoresin@oleogel system, with moderate pungency, significantly enhanced perceived saltiness intensity (29.00 ± 1.14, compared to the control, 18.48 ± 1.12) (P < 0.05). When applied to potato chips, this system noticeably increased saltiness perception. This research provides a promising approach for developing low-sodium yet flavorful foods.

The aim of this study was to produce Bologna sausages rich in unsaturated fatty acids and to evaluate this replacement on the structural characteristics. For the purpose of a comparative analysis, three different types of sausages were produced, distinct only in the type of fat used: I. sausages obtained with pork backfat (PBF), II. sausages produced with oleogel formed from refined sunflower oil and glycerol monostearate (GM_OG), and III. with candelilla wax oleogel (CW_OG). The meat composition was also analyzed to better understand the process in the dynamics and the finished products were analyzed both uncooked and cooked. The enhanced oil-binding capacity of oleogels suggests their potential value as substitutes for saturated fats (>99%). In terms of meat composition textural analysis, the highest hardness value was registered for PBF_C of 25.23 N, followed by a CW_OG_C of 13.08 N and a GM_OG_C of 12.27 N. However, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, springiness index, and gumminess showed similar values between samples. Reformulation of products with oleogels as a fat source abundant in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids resulted in uncooked products exhibiting reduced hardness values of 49.01 N (CW_OG_US) and 40.51 N (GM_OG_US), compared to 65.03 N (PBF_US). Color results of the cross-section color can indicate the potential for consumer acceptance due to the reduced color differences between the conventional and oleogel samples.

In contrast to rapeseed oil, pumpkin seed oil has yet to be well investigated in terms of oleogelation, and, to the best of our knowledge, no study related to the use of ethylcellulose (EC) in the structuring of this oil has been identified in the current scientific literature. Therefore, the present study evaluated several oleogels formulated with EC as the oleogelator in different concentrations of 7% (OG7) and 9% (OG9), based on cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil (PO) and refined rapeseed oil (RO), as well as on mixtures of the two oils in different combinations: PO:RO (3:1) (PRO) and PO:RO (1:1) (RPO). Physicochemical properties such as visual appearance, gel formation time (GFT), oil-binding capacity (OBC), oxidative and thermal stability, and textural characteristics were analyzed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey\'s honestly significant difference (HSD) were used in the statistical analysis of the data, with a significance level of p < 0.05. EC proved to be an effective structuring agent of the mentioned edible oils; the type of oils and the concentration of oleogelator significantly influenced the characteristics of the obtained oleogels. The 9% EC oleogels exhibited a more rigid structure, with a higher OBC and a reduced GFT. Pumpkin seed oil led to more stable oleogels, while the mixture of pumpkin seed oil with rapeseed oil caused a significant reduction in their mechanical properties and decreased the OBC. After 14 days of storage, all oleogels demonstrated proper oxidative stability within the bounds set by international regulations for edible fats, regardless of the kind of oil and EC concentration. All of the oleogels showed a higher oxidative stability than the oils utilized in their formulation; however, those prepared with cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil indicated a lower level of lipid oxidation among all oleogels. The P-OG9 and PR-OG9 oleogels, which mainly included PO and contained 9% EC, demonstrated the optimum levels of quality in texture, GFT, OBC, and oxidative stability.

Oleogels, characterized by their semisolid matrix formed from liquid oil structured by gelators, are emerging as a pivotal innovation in food formulation, primarily due to their capacity to enhance the nutritional profile of products by incorporating healthier fats. This review explored the integration of oleogels into diverse food matrices, examining their impact on texture, mouthfeel, and overall sensory characteristics. Through an extensive analysis of current research, this paper illustrates the versatility of oleogels created with a variety of structuring agents across different food applications. It also addresses the challenges inherent in the use of oleogels, including the preservation of their stability and consistency through varying storage and processing conditions, navigating the regulatory landscape concerning oleogelator safety and acceptability, and confronting higher production costs. Overall, this comprehensive review highlights the potential of oleogels as a promising tool for achieving desirable textural and sensory attributes in food products while also identifying areas for future research and development.

This study explored how co-oleogelator type, concentration, and water addition affect lipid digestion and β-carotene (βC) bioaccessibility in corn oil oleogels. Oleogels containing 0.1% βC, 20% glyceryl stearate (GS), with lecithin (L) or hydrogenated lecithin (HL) (at 0, 0.5, or 2.5%) and their water-filled counterparts (1% water) were examined. In vitro intestinal digestion revealed HL-oleogels experienced higher lipolysis due to their smaller crystal size enhancing surface area for lipase action, whereas L-oleogels presented lower digestibility, attributed to larger oil droplets and a minimized surface area. Water addition didn\'t significantly change lipid digestibility. βC bioaccessibility was inversely related to co-oleogelator concentration, with L-oleogels demonstrating the largest decrease, likely due to less free fatty acids released for micelle formation. However, water-filled oleogels enhanced βC bioaccessibility. These findings highlight that tailored microstructure in oleogels can control lipid digestion and βC bioaccessibility, paving the way for designing efficient delivery systems for targeted nutrient delivery.

The objective of this work was to completely replace margarine with peanut diacylglycerol oil/ethyl cellulose-glycerol monostearate oleogel (DEC/GMS) oleogel, and evaluate its effect on starch digestibility of cakes. The in vitro digestibility analysis demonstrated that the DEC/GMS-6 cake exhibited a 26.36% increase in slowly digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) contents, compared to cakes formulated with margarine. The increased SDS and RS contents might mainly be due to the hydrophobic nature of OSA-wheat flour, which could promote the formation of lipid-amylose complexes with GMS and peanut diacylglycerol oil. XRD pattern suggested that the presence of GMS in DEC-based oleogels facilitated the formation of lipid-amylose complexes. The DSC analysis revealed that the addition of GMS resulted in a significant increase in gelatinization enthalpy, rising from 249.7 to 551.9 J/g, which indicates an improved resistance to gelatinization. The FTIR spectra indicated that the combination of GMS could enhance the hydrogen bonding forces and short-range ordered structure in DEC-based cakes. The rheological analysis revealed that an increase in GMS concentration resulted in enhanced viscoelasticity of DEC-based cake compared to TEC-based cakes. The DEC-based cakes exhibited a more satisfactory texture profile and higher overall acceptability than those of TEC-based cakes. Overall, these findings demonstrated that the utilization of DEC-based oleogel presented a viable alternative to commercial margarine in the development of cakes with reduced starch digestibility.

The Glycerol monolaurate (GML) oleogel was induced using Camellia oil by slowly raising the temp to the melting point (MP) of GML. Whey protein isolate (WPI) solution with different ratios was composited with GML oleogel by emulsion template methods, forming dense spines and honeycomb-like networks and impressed with an adjustable composite structure. Textural results showed that compared with single GML-based oleogels, the GML/WPI composite oleogels had the advantages of high hardness and molding, and structural stability. The composite oleogels had moderate thermal stability and maximal oil binding (96.36%). In particular, as up to 6 wt% GML/WPI, its modulus apparent viscosity was significantly increased in rheology and similar to commercial fats. Moreover, it achieved the highest release of FFA (64.07%) and the synergy provided a lipase substrate and reduced the body\'s burden. The resulting composite oleogel also showed intermolecular hydrogen bonding and van der Waals force interactions. These findings further enlarge the application in the plant and animal-based combined of fat substitutes, delivery of bioactive molecules, etc., with the desired physical and functional properties according to different proportions.

This study aimed to incorporate green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and linked to doxorubicin (DOX), into various topical gel formulations (hydrogel, oleogel, and bigel) to enhance their dermal delivery. The ZnO NPs were produced using the aqueous extract of the root hair of Phoenix dactylifera. The optimized green-synthesized ZnO NPs, PEGylated and conjugated to DOX, demonstrated a particle size below 100 nm, low polydispersity index, and zeta potential between - 11 and - 19 mV. The UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis confirmed characteristic absorption peaks at 351 and 545 nm for ZnO and DOX, respectively. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) images revealed well-dispersed spherical nanoparticles without aggregation. Additionally, ZnO NPs-loaded gels exhibited uniformity, cohesion, no phase separation, pseudoplastic flow, and viscoelastic properties. The in vitro release studies showed that DOX-PEG-ZnO NPs hydrogel released 99.5% of DOX after 5 h of starting the release. Moreover, the penetration of DOX-PEG-ZnO NPs through excised rat skin was visualized by TEM. In conclusion, the hydrogel formulation containing green-synthesized DOX-PEG-ZnO NPs holds great promise for dermal administration in skin cancer treatment. Furthermore, the release rate and skin penetration of DOX from gels were varied based on the type of gel matrix and corroborated with their corresponding rheological properties.

Torreya grandis wax (TGW), a new nut wax and by-product of refined Torreya grandis oil, lacks sufficient research and application. In this study, the gelling behavior in diacylglycerol (DAG) and chemical compositions of TGW were investigated. Compared with four typical natural waxes, TGW exhibited the lowest critical gelling concentration (Cg, 1 %wt) in DAG. The results performed that TGW-DAG oleogels at Cg possessed the highest G\'LVR and G″, highest critical stress, good thermal stability, moderate viscosity recovery, and osc. yields stress, indicating strong gel. The microstructure and correlation analysis revealed that excellent gelling behaviors of TGW-DAG oleogels were due to the solid three-dimensional network formed by rod-like TGW crystal, and the higher hydrocarbon compound (HC) content and HC/wax ester in TGW. Formulation optimization suggested that oleogel containing 3.2 % TGW and 1.0 % diosgenin (DSG) better mimicked the characteristics of shortening in terms of hardness, adhesiveness, spreadability. The bread prepared with TGW/DSG-DAG oleogel owned uniform and dense pores, the best moisture retention capability, and soft and firm taste, demonstrating that TGW/DSG-DAG oleogel was a good shortening substitute. Therefore, this study provides the systematically fundamental knowledge of TGW and develops DSG-TGW-DAG oleogels as promising shortening substitutions.

Oleogels are innovative structured fat systems that can replace detrimental lipids and saturated fats. Among the various gelators used to construct oleogels, phytosterols are regarded as potential oleogelators due to ability to lower blood cholesterol levels and protect patients from cardiovascular illnesses, although little research has been conducted on phytosterols. This article examines the formation, characterization, and application of phytosterol-based oleogels in detail. The oleogelation behaviors of phytosterol-based oleogels are affected by their formulation, which includes phytosterol type, combined oleogelator, proportion, concentration and oil type. These oleogels exhibit potential applications as solid fat substitutes without affecting the texture or sensory properties of food products or as effective delivery vehicles. To encourage the research and implementation of phytosterol-based oleogels, we will ultimately not only highlight problems related to their use in food processing, but also provide a few viewpoints, with the goal of providing fresh insights for advancing trends.