Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food

Abstract

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.

Development and Characterization of Econazole Topical Gel

“…An ideal topical formulation should spread evenly and leave no residue behind. Carbopol ® 940 is frequently used in gel-based formulations due to its exceptional viscosity building properties (even at low concentrations) and resistance to microbial development [9]. Econazole nitrate is commonly taken once or twice a day for 14 days, in the morning and evening, and up to 42 days in serious infections.…”

Production of Novel Bigels from Cold Pressed Chia Seed Oil By-Product: Application in Low-Fat Mayonnaise

“…Biphasic gelation has recently emerged as a viable substitute for saturated fats, serving as a novel approach to structuring fats [6,7]. Biphasic gels, also known as bigels, are created by combining oleogelation and hydrogelation techniques [8]. This allows for the containment of both oil and water phases within a three-dimensional network [7].…”

“…Bigels offer enhanced physical stability compared to emulsions and emulsion gels by limiting the movement of the dispersed phase within the system. In addition, bigels possess a significant advantage in delivering both lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactive components due to their structure, which includes both an oil phase and a water phase [8][9][10][11]. However, the successful production of bigel with the desired rheological and textural qualities relies on numerous factors.…”

“…The primary factors in the production of bigels are the specific type and ratio of gelling agents, as well as the ratio between hydrogel and oleogel [12]. The selecting the appropriate gelling agent is crucial for achieving the desired gel structure, particularly in the production of hydrogels [8]. Due to its ability to create hydrogen bonds between water, gelators, and non-gelling substances, gelatin is one of the most often employed proteins as hydrogelators in bigels [13,14].…”