Functionality of Oleogels and Bigels in Foods
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 5688
Special Issue Editor
Interests: lipid structuring; oleogels; hybrid gels–bigels; meat science and technology; osmotic dehydration; mass transfer phenomena; shelf life determination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
There is growing consumer awareness regarding the connection between nutrition and health; therefore, consumers have become increasingly interested in food products that are perceived to be healthier. Such choices may include limiting the consumption of animal, saturated, and trans fats, and consuming foods rich in nutraceuticals or other bioactive compounds (vitamins, antioxidants, etc.); however, there are many challenges regarding this topic. For example, many nutraceuticals have a low water solubility and bioavailability, which can lead to undesirable nutritional performance. Additionally, many bioactive compounds are susceptible to oxidation and degradation, especially during food processing.
Oleogels, a form of thermoreversible, semi-solid, and structured lipids, are proven to be an effective strategy for delivering nutraceuticals and satisfying consumers’ demand for nutritional and modern food. Thus, research on oleogels in the field of food science has increased rapidly during the past few years.
Oleogel-based systems may include oleogel emulsions and hybrid gels formulated by the combination of an oleogel and a hydrogel. Developing oleogel-based systems with which to deliver nutraceuticals or other bioactive compounds is also a potential strategy for improving the nutritional profile of modern food. Applications may include simultaneously loading hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds in foods, improving the dispersion of nutraceuticals, and increasing the bioavailability of such compounds. Due to their multiple advantages, oleogel-based systems have recently gained widespread attention in modern foods.
Oleogels and oleogel-based systems can also meet consumers’ demands for healthier foods. For example, these systems can be used as substitutes for saturated fat and hydrogenated oils, thus reducing the amount of saturated and trans fatty acids in food. In this regard, oleogels and oleogel-based systems not only satisfy the sensory characteristics of food but also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
To date, various oleogels and oleogel-based systems have been devised to satisfy consumers’ demands regarding nutrition and health. However, there are many unsolved technical issues that hinder their industrial application. Considering that oleogels and oleogel-based systems are so intriguing and significant in the field of food science, this Special Issue was devised to improve our understanding of oleogels and oleogel-based systems. All articles related to meeting consumers’ demands for nutritional and healthy modern foods utilizing oleogels and oleogel-based systems are most welcome.
Dr. Eugenios Katsanidis
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
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Keywords
- oleogels
- hybrid gels
- bigels
- structured lipids
- oleogel-based systems
- rheology
- gel structures
- nutraceutical delivery
- fat replacer
- fatty acids
- metabolism
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