A combination
of different gelators provides a pursuable way to
create oleogels with enhanced properties. In this work, high oleic
sunflower oil was structured using monoglycerides (MGs), waxes (carnauba
wax, beeswax, candelilla wax, rice bran wax), and their mixtures,
aiming at investigating the effects of compounding MG with wax on
microstructures, the gelation process, and physicochemical and digestion
properties of resultant oleogels. Compounding MG with wax leads to
different oleogel properties of either only MG or only wax selected.
During the gelation process, the onset of crystallization and gelation
in compound systems is only controlled by the MG, while waxes are
responsible for enhancing the basic network of MG crystals at low
temperatures. The final elasticity of compound oleogels seems to be
more affected by wax. Under optimal formulations, an oleogel with
delayed digestion and stronger mechanical properties was obtained.
The enhanced properties, mainly, arise from hydrogen bonding and a
denser crystal network.