Anais do Simpósio Latino Americano de Ciências de Alimentos
Actas del 14 SLACA - Simposio Latinoamericano de Ciencia de los Alimentos

Oleogels are colloidal systems in which oil is immobilized by a solid three-dimensional network formed by structuring agents. They can reduce or replace fats in food products and/or act as a vehicle for functional ingredients. The objective of this study was to produce oleogels based on non-germinated and germinated wheat starches, with and without orange essential oil, and apply as a replacement for hydrogenated vegetable fat and antifungal in bread. The oleogels were prepared using sunflower oil, starch, beeswax and water, under heating at 90°C and stirring for 15 min. After cooling, the essential oil was added to the solution at 30% in volume corresponding to starch. The oleogels were stored at 5°C for 24 h and evaluated for oil retention after centrifugation, textural properties, and storage stability for 20 days at 20°C. The fresh bread were evaluated by moisture content, specific volume, and texture profile analysis. A macroscopic antifungal analysis of the bread during storage for 10 days was performed. The oleogels exhibited oil retention ranging from 99 to 110% with stability during the storage, exhibiting a non-fluid gel under extreme force, indicating equilibrium among the components. The oleogels of germinated wheat starch presented higher hardness and adhesiveness, and lower cohesion than non-germinated. A possible depolymerization of starch during germination can promote greater molecular interaction with water, affecting the texture parameters. The addition of essential oil increased the adhesiveness and decreased the hardness of oleogels. The replacement of fat by oleogels did not affect the moisture and specific volume (around 5.3 cm3.g-1) of bread. Macroscopic analysis showed that bread with oleogels and essential oil presented slower and less pronounced fungal growth than those without essential oil, demonstrating antifungal potential. The oleogels presented a potential for application as a replacement for hydrogenated vegetable fat and antifungal in bread.