Preparation and characterization of oleogel emulsions: A comparative study between the use of recovered and commercial sunflower waxes as structuring agent

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of recovered sunflower waxes (RW) to be used as a structuring agent of oleogel emulsions in comparison with commercial sunflower waxes (CW). RW were recovered from filter cake with a simple hexane extraction procedure. For this purpose, oleogel‐based emulsions were prepared using 2%, 3.5%, and 5% w/w wax in oleogel and characterized using several physicochemical techniques in order to evaluate the potential of these materials to develop products with functionality similar to commercial margarines. The total wax esters content of RW was similar to that of the CW and was mainly composed of wax esters with more than 44 carbon atoms (crystallizable waxes). Polarized light and scanning electron microscopy showed that RW produced emulsions with more intricate crystalline networks composed of smaller platelets than CW. The melting enthalpy was greater in CW emulsions than RW emulsions, which was in agreement with the thermal behavior found for CW and RW. The oil binding capacity of CW oleogel emulsions was higher than the RW ones, and this property improved with the increase in wax concentration. Likewise, the elastic behavior, as well as hardness and adhesiveness, increased with the wax content as a result of a greater amount of microstructural elements composing the network of these semisolid materials. The oleogel emulsions stability was monitored for 2 months at room temperature. The increase of CW concentration slowed down the coalescence process, but this behavior was not observed for RW emulsions. Obtained results demonstrated that RW oleogel emulsions have the potential to replace the functionality of soft spreadable products. Practical Application Wax esters are organogelators that have been shown to successfully gel liquid oil at low concentrations. In this work, we are interested in evaluating the potential of sunflower waxes recovered from filter cake, a waste generated during refined oil production, to structure oil and produce oil‐in‐water emulsions with functionality similar to commercial margarines. With this, it is sought not only the development of healthier fats but also the use of wastes to generate more sustainable products.

Variations in Microstructural and Physicochemical Properties of Soy Wax/Soybean Oil-Derived Oleogels Using Soy Lecithin

“…In our case, we have considered SE0 as the standard. The ΔE values were found to be in the range of 4 and 12, suggesting that the color difference among the samples can be identified by the naked eye [ 50 ]. However, ΔE values of the SYL-added samples were similarly valued ( p > 0.05).…”

Preparation and Characterization of Novel Oleogels Using Jasmine Floral Wax and Wheat Germ Oil for Oral Delivery of Curcumin

“…The bright-field microscopic images suggested the formation of fiber structures which are formed through the entanglement of crystals similar to previous works ( Figure 8 ). 49 , 50 This fibrous network appearance can be due to the high content of wax esters in JFW. Analysis of the polarized light micrographs of OG revealed that spherulites or clustered crystallites were formed in OGs prepared by JFW and WGO ( Figure 9 ).…”

Production, health implications and applications of oleogels as fat replacer in food system: A review

“…Most of the studies showed that the solid fat content of oleogels or oleogel blend (with commercial saturated fat) is relatively much lower when compared to the commercial saturated lipid systems, for example, butter, margarine, shortening and coating fat which have around 50%-90% of saturated fat. Whilst commercial saturated lipid system confers a sharp melting curve, a flat solid fat content curve was observed for oleogel under a wide range of temperature attributed to its high unsaturated fatty acid level (da Silva et al, 2018;Kim et al, 2017;Merch an Sandoval et al, 2020;Mert & Demirkesen, 2016a, Mert & Demirkesen, 2016bSi et al, 2016;Wang et al, 2021;Yılmaz & Ö gütcü, 2014Yılmaz & Ö gütcü, , 2015aYılmaz & Ö gütcü, , 2015b. Also, under most cases that oleogel tend to be less viscous and softer than the commercial solid fat further affecting the sensory attributes of the end products.…”