Catastrophic phase inversion of bigels characterized by fluorescence intensity-based 3D modeling and the formability for decorating and 3D printing

The relationship between nonlinear viscoelasticity and baking performance in low-saturated puff pastry margarine

The oil phase obtained by blending and oleogel methods has potential for the production of non‑hydrogenated and low-saturated puff pastry margarine, thereby reducing intakes of both types of dietary fat. The crystal form, microstructure, rheology, and baking applications of puff pastry margarines prepared with anhydrous milk fat (AMF)/palm stearin (POs), POs/palm oil (PO), beef tallow (BT)/PO, or AMF/POs/diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono(di)glycerides (DATEM) oleogels were investigated using X-ray scattering, polarized light microscope, and rheometer, respectively. All margarines exhibited β'-form crystal and strongly viscoelastic at low strain. With the addition of DATEM oleogel, their crystal microstructure became more uniform and finer, and the croissants were less hard (1690) and chewiness (160). The chewiness of croissants produced using the margarines was significantly improved with POs content. The theoretical basis for preparation and application in non‑hydrogenated and low-saturated puff pastry margarine was provided in the present study.

Regulation of fat crystals in water-in-oil emulsions by high-intensity ultrasound: Crystal size and tracing of droplet distribution

In this paper, two emulsion systems with high and low solid fat contents were prepared from 20 % water phase and 80 % oil phase by adjusting the palm oil/palm stearin/soybean oil ratio. Different ultrasonic power and time were used for the pretreatment of emulsion with different solid fat content, and the application characteristics of ultrasonic in W/O emulsions were explored and evaluated. Directly using high-intensity ultrasound to prepare fatty emulsions would weaken the hardness and storage modulus G' of the samples. Although ultrasound reduced the size of fat crystals in emulsions, the interaction between water droplets and fat crystals needs to be considered. After ultrasonic treatment, water droplets were difficult to immobilize on the crystal surface and thus acted as an active filler to stabilize the emulsion together with the fat crystal network. In high solid fat emulsion systems, an increase in ultrasound power (from 100 W to 200 W) could more affect the crystallization behavior of fats than an increase in ultrasound duration (from 30 s to 60 s), and the distribution of crystals and droplets was more uniform. In the low solid fat emulsion system, the texture of the sample after ultrasonic treatment was softer, and the surface was more delicate and smoother. However, the higher ultrasonic intensity (200 W) was not conducive to the preparation of the spread. Although the ultrasound with excessive intensity promoted the formation of small crystals, it would also lead to the aggregation of small crystals. These small crystals cannot form a uniform crystal network, which increases the fluidity of emulsions.

Novel Pickering bigels stabilized by whey protein microgels: Interfacial properties, oral sensation and gastrointestinal digestive profiles

In the ongoing quest to formulate sensory-rich, low-fat products that maintain structural integrity, this work investigated the potential of bigels, especially those created using innovative Pickering techniques. By harnessing the unique properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) and whey protein microgel (WPM) as interfacial stabilizers, WPM-based Pickering bigels exhibited a remarkable particle localization at the interface due to specific intermolecular interactions. The rise in protein concentration not only intensified particle coverage and interface stabilization but also amplified attributes like storage modulus, yield stress, and adhesiveness, owing to enhanced intermolecular forces and a compact gel matrix. Impressively, WPM-based Pickering bigels outshone in practical applications, showcasing exceptional oil retention during freeze-thaw cycles and extended flavor release-a promising indication for frozen food product applications. Furthermore, these bigels underwent a sensory evolution from a lubricious texture at lower concentrations to a stable plateau at higher ones, offering an enriched consumer experience. In a comparative digestibility assessment, WPM-based Pickering bigels demonstrated superior prowess in decelerating the release of free fatty acids, indicating slowed lipid digestion. This study demonstrates the potential to fine-tune oral sensations and digestive profiles in bigels by modulating Pickering particle concentrations.

Edible polysaccharide-based oleogels and novel emulsion gels as fat analogues: A review

Polysaccharide-based oleogels and emulsion gels have become novel strategies to replace solid fats due to safe and plentiful raw material, healthier fatty acid composition, controllable viscoelasticity, and more varied nutrition/flavor embedding. Recently, various oleogelation techniques and novel emulsion gels have been reported further to enrich the potential of polysaccharides in oil structuring, in which a crucial step is to promote the formation of polysaccharide networks determining gel properties through different media. Meanwhile, polysaccharide-based oleogels and emulsion gels have good oil holding, nutrient/flavor embedding, and 3D food printability, and their applications as fat substitutes have been explored in foods. This paper comprehensively reviews the types, preparation methods, and mechanisms of various polysaccharide-based oleogels and emulsion gels; meanwhile, the food applications and new trends of polysaccharide-based gels are discussed. Moreover, some viewpoints about potential developments and application challenges of polysaccharide-based gels are mentioned. In the future, polysaccharide-based gels may be flexible materials for customized nutritional foods and molecular gastronomy. However, it is still a challenge to select the appropriate oleogels or emulsion gels to meet the requirements of the products. Once this issue is addressed, oleogels and emulsion gels are anticipated to be used widely.

Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food

Bigels have been mainly applied in the pharmaceutical sector for the controlled release of drugs or therapeutics. However, these systems, with their intricate structures, hold great promise for wider application in food products. Besides their classical role as carrier and target delivery vehicles for molecules of interest, bigels may also be valuable tools for building complex food structures. In the context of reducing or even eliminating undesirable (but often highly functional) food components, current strategies often critically affect food structure and palatability. The production of solid fat systems that are trans-fat-free and have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids is one of the challenges the food industry currently faces. According to recent studies, bigels can be successfully used as ingredients for total or partial solid fat replacement in complex food matrices. This review aims to critically assess current research on bigels in food and pharmaceutical applications, discuss the role of bigel composition and production parameters on the characteristics of bigels and further expand the use of bigels as solid fat replacers and functional food ingredients. The hydrogel:oleogel ratio, selected gelators, inclusion of surfactants and encapsulation of molecules of interest, and process parameters (e.g., temperature, shear rate) during bigel production play a crucial role in the bigel's rheological and textural properties, microstructure, release characteristics, biocompatibility, and stability. Besides exploring the role of these parameters in bigel production, future research directions for bigels in a food context are explored.

Bigels constructed from hybrid gelator systems: bulk phase-interface stability and 3D printing

In this study, edible bigels with different ratios of beeswax-based oleogel to gellan gum-based hydrogel were developed and characterized. Gellan gum formed a 3D network in water through hydrogen bonding. Beeswax formed a crystalline network in the oil phase, which prevented the flow of oil and formed an oleogel. The position of the droplets is fixed by the crystallization of glycerol monostearate (GMS) at the interface. Bigels with different oleogel contents presented different types of O/W (oleogel content was less than 62%), semi-bicontinuous (oleogel content was 62-68%), and W/O bigels (oleogel content was more than 70%), respectively. Rheological experiments showed bigels had a shear thinning ability, which was suitable for extrusion 3D printing. Then the applicability of 3D printing was studied and it was found that the self-supporting ability of bigels became stronger with the increase of oleogel content. Functional pigments were incorporated into the bigel inks, making the 3D printing product nutrient-rich and color customizable. These results would favor guiding the preparation of bigels with adjusted physical properties and delicate structures for 3D food printing to satisfy the personal desire of consumers.

3D Printing Technology Based on Versatile Gelatin-Carrageenan Gel System for Drug Formulations

Currently, there is a shortage of pediatric medicines on the market, and 3D printing technology can more flexibly produce personalized medicines to meet individual needs. The study developed a child-friendly composite gel ink (carrageenan-gelatin), created 3D models by computer-aided design technology, then produced personalized medicines using 3D printing to improve the safety and accuracy of medication for pediatric patients. An in-depth understanding of the printability of different formulations was obtained by analyzing the rheological and textural properties of different gel inks and observing the microstructure of different gel inks, which guided the formulation optimization. Through formulation optimization, the printability and thermal stability of gel ink were improved, and F6 formulation (carrageenan: 0.65%; gelatin: 12%) was selected as the 3D printing inks. Additionally, a personalized dose linear model was established with the F6 formulation for the production of 3D printed personalized tablets. Moreover, the dissolution tests showed that the 3D printed tablets were able to dissolve more than 85% within 30 min and had similar dissolution profiles to the commercially available tablets. This study demonstrates that 3D printing is an effective manufacturing technique that allows for flexible, rapid, and automated production of personalized formulations.

Comparative study of natural wax-based W/O emulsion gels: Microstructure and macroscopic properties

In this paper, six kinds of natural wax, including sunflower wax (SFX), rice bran wax (RBX), carnauba Brazilian wax (CBX), beeswax (BWX), candelilla wax (CDX), and sugarcane wax (SGX) were used to prepare water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion gels. Microstructures and rheological properties of all emulsion gels were investigated by microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheometer, respectively. By comparing polarized light images of wax-based emulsion gels and corresponding wax-based oleogels, it could be found that dispersed water droplets greatly affected the crystal distribution and hindered crystal growth. Polarized light microscopy and CLSM images proved that natural wax could perform a dual-stabilization mechanism by interfacial crystallization and crystal networks. SEM images illustrated all waxes except SGX were platelets and formed networks by stacking on top of each other, while flocs-like SGX was easier to adsorb on the interface and formed a "crystalline shell". The surface area and pore formed by different wax varied wildly, which accounted for their differences in the gelation ability, oil binding capacity, and strength of the crystal network. The rheological study showed that all wax had solid-like properties and wax-based oleogels with denser crystal networks correspond to emulsion gels with higher modules. The dense crystal network and interfacial crystallization could improve the stability of W/O emulsion gels proved by recovery rates and critical strain. All the above proved that natural wax-based emulsion gels can be used as stable, low-fat, and thermal-sensitive fat mimics.

Effect of Potato Starch Hydrogel:Glycerol Monostearate Oleogel Ratio on the Physico-Rheological Properties of Bigels

Bigel (BG) has been shown to be promising for the food industry due to the possibility to manipulate the properties of the system by adjusting the ratio of each individual phase, namely the hydrogel (H) and oleogel (O) phases. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of the O:H ratio on the physical-rheological properties of BG produced with potato starch (PS) and glycerol monostearate (GM). The hydrogel hardness (i.e., 1423.47 g) directly influenced the viscosity of the BG samples, as BG with a higher H-phase presented the highest viscosity and firmness. All BG samples presented shear-thinning behavior and structural breakdown at ~50 °C. BG with a higher O-phase had superior results for thermal stability, softer texture, and yield stress values, representative of good plasticity and spreadability, as compared to BG with less O-phase. The BG with 80% H-phase was less stable during the 21 days of storage in relation to the other BG samples. This study showed the role that the O:H ratio plays in the development of PS-GM-based BGs with tailor-made physical-rheological properties. In addition, the BG is an easily reproduced system with great potential to be used as a trans and saturated fat substitute in food applications.

Novel Formulation of Bigel-Based Vegetable Oil Spreads Enriched with Lingonberry Pomace

In this study, bigel-based vegetable oil spreads with lingonberry pomace addition were prepared. The impact of gelatin, agar and collagen was examined as structuring agents as was the effect of lecithin concentration (0.5, 1.0, 1.5%). Prepared systems were evaluated by physical and chemical stability and structural and rheological properties. It was found that all bigel formulations were self-standing with no signs of phase separation at ambient temperature immediately after preparation and after two weeks of storage at 4 °C temperature. The lingonberry pomace addition affected grainy structure formation with homogenous and uniform distribution of fiber particles throughout the bigel matrix and it also altered the colour of the bigels toward a purple-red. Texture, rheological properties and colour of the spread formulations were affected by the type of the structuring agent as well as the lecithin concentration. The presence of the lingonberry pomace enhanced the resistance of the bigel samples to the oxidation process and it was confirmed by the DPPH^• inhibition, peroxide value and oxipress test. Overall, the formulated bigel-based spreads could be beneficial and had a potential application as healthier fat spreads and be a source of dietary fibers (11 g of fibre per 100 g of the spread).