093: Structuring Safflower Oil: Unlocking Its Potential for Healthy Fat Substitution and Comprehensive Insights Into Its Physicochemical Characteristics

Introduction

In today's world, driven by health-conscious trends, oleogels are widely used to reduce unhealthy fats, improve texture, and meet the demand for clean-label, sustainable ingredients. Safflower oil, characterized by its high PUFA content, holds considerable promise for functional food applications; however, its oleogelation remains an under-researched area. This investigation sought to develop oleogels using three different types of oleogelators: candelilla wax (CLX), stearic acid (SA), and glycerol monostearate (GMS) and to evaluate their structural and nutritional efficacy as solid fat substitutes for the food system.

Methods

Oleogels were formulated by heating SFO to 90°C and incorporating oleogelators at concentrations of 9% and 12%, followed by mixing at 250 rpm for 30 min. The resulting six samples (CLX9, CLX12, SA9, SA12, GMS9, and GMS12) were characterized for oil binding capacity (OBC), hardness, rheological behavior, creep recovery, and structural attributes using FTIR and XRD analysis.

Results

Minimum gelation concentrations for CLX, SA, and GMS were 2.5%, 6%, and 8%, respectively. OBC ranged from 82.9% (SA9) to 99.64% (CLX12), while hardness varied between 0.26 N (GMS9) and 8.75 N (CLX12). All oleogels demonstrated shear-thinning behavior, characterized by a decrease in apparent viscosity with increasing shear rate. Addition of oleogelator resulted in an increased apparent viscosity of the oleogels. As the oleogelator concentration increased storage modulus, and loss modulus were found to increase, while the linear viscoelastic region was reduced, resulting in more rigid but brittle gels. Creep recovery tests revealed that higher wax concentrations led to decreased creep compliance and enhanced recovery rates. FTIR confirmed the retention of SFO’s chemical integrity, and XRD revealed β' and β polymorph crystal formations in the oleogels.

Significance

This study explores the potential of oleogels formulated from safflower oil as healthier fat substitutes in food products with improved textural and structural properties. SFO based oleogels have the potential to develop novel food products with improved nutritional profile and reduced calorie density. This could help to combat global obesity and associated health problems and contribute to SDG 3 (improved health) and SDG 9 (fostering innovation).

Authors: Manisha, P. P. Tripathy