In this study, anhydrous zein-based oil-in-glycerol emulsion gels were prepared by a medium temperature induction method. The impact of zein and corn oil contents on the formation and structure of emulsion gels was explored. It was found that increasing the content of zein (4%-8%) enhanced the continuous phase network structure and therefore significantly improved the gel strength, increasing the gel hardness from (3.43 ± 0.14) to (8.15 ± 0.13) N, the oil-holding capacity from (97.64 ± 0.21)% to 100%, and the solvent-holding capacity from (84.15 ± 0.38)% to (96.34 ± 1.20)%. The increase in corn oil content (50%-70%) did not significantly change the gel strength, but enhanced the gel viscosity and thixotropic recovery performance. Meanwhile, the gel stability was improved by the tight arrangement of oil droplets, and the gel oil-holding capacity and solvent-holding capacity were maintained at high levels, (95.51 ± 0.56)%-(99.17 ± 0.85)% and (83.29 ± 2.23)%-(93.39 ± 1.01)%, respectively. All formulations formed stable emulsion gels with good temperature response behavior. Our results proved that the gel properties could be regulated by adjusting the contents of zein and corn oil. This study provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of zein-based emulsion gels in foods, improving the comprehensive utilization rate of zein.

Salt is a commonly used condiment. Health problems such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases caused by high-salt (sodium) diets have become increasingly serious. However, reducing salt or using salt substitutes often results in poor sensory quality. The sodium in the diet mainly comes from processed foods, among which food colloids are important sources of sodium. The structural design of food colloid systems to reduce the intake of sodium while retaining the original flavor has become a focus of current studies. From the perspective of food matrices, this article briefly describes the mechanism of salty taste perception, and summarizes the current methods available for salt reduction and their advantages and disadvantages. Emphasis is put on the methods of reducing salt in food colloids (adjusting matrix properties, improving network structure, optimizing salt distribution, and accelerating interface instability), and reasonable suggestions are put forward. Through this review, we hope to provide theoretical support for promoting the development of international salt reduction actions.

In this study, the key factors affecting the physical and chemical properties of beeswax oleogels and margarine based on beeswax oleogels were explored. Oleogels were prepared using corn oil as the oil phase and beeswax as the oleogelator, and different small-molecular-mass emulsifiers (Span 40, lecithin), and were mixed with water and emulsified to prepare margarine. The oil-holding capacity of the two oleogels were over 95%, suggesting good oil-holding capacity. Emulsifier concentration and storage temperature affected the hardness of oleogels. With the increase in emulsifier concentration and the decrease in storage temperature, the hardness of oleogels decreased. Considering the texture characteristics and oil-holding capacity of beeswax oleogels, the beeswax oleogel with 1% emulsifier under cold storage conditions had the best comprehensive properties. Besides, emulsifier concentration and storage temperature also had an impact on the rheological properties of margarine: with the increase in emulsifier concentration and the decrease in storage temperature, the viscoelasticity and stability of margarine was enhanced. In addition, the addition of emulsifier greatly improved the water-holding capacity of margarine. Overall, the margarine with 2% emulsifier under cold storage conditions had the best comprehensive properties. The oleogels and margarine prepared in this study could be used as good substitutes for butter and cream to provide consumers with healthier food ingredients.

Sodium alginate is one of the most widely used polymer polysaccharides in delivery systems. Sodium alginate hydrogel is often used to deliver bioactive molecules, drugs and other substances, and has great potential for application in foods and pharmaceuticals. Currently, composite gels are used in various forms to improve the mechanical properties and application defects of single alginate gels. This article provides an overview of the structure and characteristics of sodium alginate, focusing on the current status of research on alginate composite gels in terms of the advantages of alginate-polysaccharides, alginate-proteins, and alginate-lipids composite gels as well as the factors affecting their application characteristics. Moreover, recent studies on two common application forms of alginate gels: microgels and edible coating are summarized. We expect that this review will provide references for expanding the application of alginates in delivery systems.

Calcium alginate-whey protein isolate (CA-WPI) composite gel embedded with anthocyanins was prepared by in-situ release method using sodium alginate and whey protein isolate as raw materials. The raw materials were allocated to three treatments: CA-WPI both at room temperature, room temperature CA-heated WPI, and heated CA-heated WPI. The results showed that compared with the control CA gel, the addition of heated WPI reduced the dehydration shrinkage rate of the gel by 74.17% and increased the freeze-thaw stability by 36.37%. In addition, the linear viscoelastic region of the mixed gels was greatly extended, while the creep recovery rate was decreased. Compared with the control gel, the hardness of the composite gels decreased, the viscosity of the heated CA-heated WPI gel significantly increased to 0.68 mJ. The results of infrared spectroscopy and storage stability showed that the composite gels effectively encapsulated anthocyanins, and 85.01% of the anthocyanins embedded in the heated CA-heated WPI composite gel was retained after 15 days of storage at 25 ℃.

In this study, oleogels were prepared with rapeseed oil and coconut oil as oil phase and monoglyceride (MG), beeswax, rice bran wax, carnauba wax or candelilla (CLW) wax as gelling agent, and the effects of different concentrations of gelling agent (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) on the oil-holding capacity, textural properties and rheological properties of oleogels were investigated. The results showed that the oil-holding capacity of the oleogels prepared with 15% and more gelling agent was more than 96%; the melting characteristics of MG were most similar to those of butter, but the textual properties of oleogels prepared with a single gelling agent were not comparable to that of butter. Therefore, mixtures of MG and CLW in different proportions by mass were used to prepare oleogels with 15% oleogels and plant-based patties. The results showed that the oleogel prepared with a 3:7 mixture of MG and CLW was the closest to butter in terms of textural and rheological properties, and the resulting patty had the highest sensory quality, showing that this oleogel has a better potential for use as a fat substitute.