Fabrication of novel oleogel enriched with bioactive compounds and assessment of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties and storage stability

Abstract

Amidst evolving dietary challenges, developing oleogels as functional foods enriched with bioactive compounds is gaining dramatic attention. The utilization of fish oil (a source of omega-3 fatty acids) in food is greatly restricted due to its susceptibility to oxidation and the study on the use of fish oil in oleogel is also scanty. β-Carotene and β-sitosterol are lipophilic compounds with several health benefits. Therefore, in this study, oleogels enriched with fish oil, β-carotene, and β-sitosterol were developed and examined for their properties. Oleogels were developed from a basic formula comprising a blend of rice bran oil and sesame oil (4:5, w/w) and a synergistic mixture of beeswax and stearic acid (3:1, w/w) as oleogelators. Fish oil and β-sitosterol were incorporated at 10% (w/w) and 5% (w/w), respectively of the total oil mixture, while β-carotene was included at 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 % (w/w). The oils and oleogels were evaluated for their properties and storage stability in

terms of rheological stability, oxidative stability, and β-carotene content until 4 months of storage. The incor- poration of fish oil did not cause any significant changes in the properties of the oleogels. The incorporation of

β-carotene resulted in a more uniform microstructure and increased gel strength, whereas oil binding capacity and thermal and molecular properties of the oleogels were not influenced by β-carotene. Oleogels exhibited higher oxidative stability and less β-carotene loss during storage than the oils. The incorporation of β-carotene enhanced the oxidative stability of the oleogels. The findings of this study suggested that there is a potential for preparing oleogels incorporated with bioactive compounds with good stability.