Ferdaus Md Jannatul, Mahmud Niaz, Talukder Sudipta, Silva Roberta Claro da
Food and Nutritional Sciences Program, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA.
Gels. 2025 Jan 16;11(1):69. doi: 10.3390/gels11010069.
Oleogels have been a revolutionary innovation in food science in terms of their health benefits and unique structural properties. They provide a healthier alternative to traditional solid or animal fats. They have improved oxidative stability and nutritional value to maintain the desirable sensory qualities of lipid-based foods. Moreover, oleogels offer an ideal carrier for poorly water-soluble bioactive compounds. The three-dimensional structure of oleogels can protect and deliver bioactive compounds in functional food products. Bioactive compounds also affect the crystalline behavior of oleogelators, the physical properties of oleogels, and storage stability. Generally, different incorporation techniques are applied to entrap bioactive compounds in the oleogel matrix depending on their characteristics. These approaches enhance the bioavailability, controlled release, stability of bioactive compounds, and the shelf life of oleogels. The multifunctionality of oleogels extends their applications beyond fat replacements, e.g., food preservation, nutraceutical delivery, and even novel innovations like 3D food printing. Despite their potential, challenges such as large-scale production, cost efficiency, and consumer acceptance remain areas for further exploration. This review emphasizes the understanding of the relationship between the structure of oleogels and their functional properties to optimize their design in different food applications. It also highlights the latest advancements in bioactive oleogels, focusing on how they incorporate bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, essential oils, and flavonoids into oleogels. The impact of these compounds on the gelation process, storage stability, and overall functionality of oleogels is also critically examined.
就其健康益处和独特的结构特性而言,油凝胶一直是食品科学领域的一项革命性创新。它们为传统固体脂肪或动物脂肪提供了更健康的替代品。它们具有更高的氧化稳定性和营养价值,以保持脂质基食品所需的感官品质。此外,油凝胶为水溶性差的生物活性化合物提供了理想的载体。油凝胶的三维结构可以保护并递送功能性食品中的生物活性化合物。生物活性化合物也会影响油凝胶剂的结晶行为、油凝胶的物理性质和储存稳定性。一般来说,根据生物活性化合物的特性,会采用不同的包埋技术将其包埋在油凝胶基质中。这些方法提高了生物活性化合物的生物利用度、控释性、稳定性以及油凝胶的保质期。油凝胶的多功能性使其应用范围超越了脂肪替代品,例如食品保鲜、营养递送,甚至像3D食品打印这样的新创新。尽管它们具有潜力,但大规模生产、成本效益和消费者接受度等挑战仍是有待进一步探索的领域。这篇综述强调了对油凝胶结构与其功能特性之间关系的理解,以优化它们在不同食品应用中的设计。它还突出了生物活性油凝胶的最新进展,重点关注它们如何将多酚、精油和黄酮类等生物活性化合物纳入油凝胶中。还对这些化合物对油凝胶的凝胶化过程、储存稳定性和整体功能的影响进行了批判性研究。