Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food
Bigels have been mainly applied in the pharmaceutical sector for the controlled release of drugs or therapeutics. However, these systems, with their intricate structures, hold great promise for wider application in food products. Besides their classical role as carrier and target delivery vehicles f...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | Gels |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/9/8/648 |
| _version_ | 1827729678179237888 |
|---|---|
| author | Alyssa Francavilla Maria G. Corradini Iris J. Joye |
| author_facet | Alyssa Francavilla Maria G. Corradini Iris J. Joye |
| author_sort | Alyssa Francavilla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bigels have been mainly applied in the pharmaceutical sector for the controlled release of drugs or therapeutics. However, these systems, with their intricate structures, hold great promise for wider application in food products. Besides their classical role as carrier and target delivery vehicles for molecules of interest, bigels may also be valuable tools for building complex food structures. In the context of reducing or even eliminating undesirable (but often highly functional) food components, current strategies often critically affect food structure and palatability. The production of solid fat systems that are <i>trans</i>-fat-free and have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids is one of the challenges the food industry currently faces. According to recent studies, bigels can be successfully used as ingredients for total or partial solid fat replacement in complex food matrices. This review aims to critically assess current research on bigels in food and pharmaceutical applications, discuss the role of bigel composition and production parameters on the characteristics of bigels and further expand the use of bigels as solid fat replacers and functional food ingredients. The hydrogel:oleogel ratio, selected gelators, inclusion of surfactants and encapsulation of molecules of interest, and process parameters (e.g., temperature, shear rate) during bigel production play a crucial role in the bigel’s rheological and textural properties, microstructure, release characteristics, biocompatibility, and stability. Besides exploring the role of these parameters in bigel production, future research directions for bigels in a food context are explored. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:55:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fea5f24313264498ae80043236582039 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2310-2861 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:55:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gels |
| spelling | doaj.art-fea5f24313264498ae800432365820392023-11-19T01:13:48ZengMDPI AGGels2310-28612023-08-019864810.3390/gels9080648Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in FoodAlyssa Francavilla0Maria G. Corradini1Iris J. Joye2Department of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaDepartment of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaDepartment of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaBigels have been mainly applied in the pharmaceutical sector for the controlled release of drugs or therapeutics. However, these systems, with their intricate structures, hold great promise for wider application in food products. Besides their classical role as carrier and target delivery vehicles for molecules of interest, bigels may also be valuable tools for building complex food structures. In the context of reducing or even eliminating undesirable (but often highly functional) food components, current strategies often critically affect food structure and palatability. The production of solid fat systems that are <i>trans</i>-fat-free and have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids is one of the challenges the food industry currently faces. According to recent studies, bigels can be successfully used as ingredients for total or partial solid fat replacement in complex food matrices. This review aims to critically assess current research on bigels in food and pharmaceutical applications, discuss the role of bigel composition and production parameters on the characteristics of bigels and further expand the use of bigels as solid fat replacers and functional food ingredients. The hydrogel:oleogel ratio, selected gelators, inclusion of surfactants and encapsulation of molecules of interest, and process parameters (e.g., temperature, shear rate) during bigel production play a crucial role in the bigel’s rheological and textural properties, microstructure, release characteristics, biocompatibility, and stability. Besides exploring the role of these parameters in bigel production, future research directions for bigels in a food context are explored.https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/9/8/648bigelshydrogelsorganogelscontrolled releasesolid fat replacementfood |
| spellingShingle | Alyssa Francavilla Maria G. Corradini Iris J. Joye Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food Gels bigels hydrogels organogels controlled release solid fat replacement food |
| title | Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food |
| title_full | Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food |
| title_fullStr | Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food |
| title_short | Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food |
| title_sort | bigels as delivery systems potential uses and applicability in food |
| topic | bigels hydrogels organogels controlled release solid fat replacement food |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/9/8/648 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alyssafrancavilla bigelsasdeliverysystemspotentialusesandapplicabilityinfood AT mariagcorradini bigelsasdeliverysystemspotentialusesandapplicabilityinfood AT irisjjoye bigelsasdeliverysystemspotentialusesandapplicabilityinfood |