Physical properties of oleogels fabricated by the combination of diacylglycerols and monoacylglycerols

Abstract Oleogelation is an efficient way to offer healthy substitutes for trans and saturated fatty acids in processed foods. Multicomponent gels are of particular interest due to the ability to tune gel properties by altering the component proportions. In this study, monoacylglycerol (MAG) and diacylglycerol (DAG) are used as gelator blends and the influence of the gelator ratio on the characteristics of oleogels was investigated. The crystallization and melting behavior, solid fat content (SFC), crystal morphology, polymorphism and mechanical properties of the oleogels were characterized. The oleogels with higher gelator level displayed increased oil binding ability and shorter crystal formation time. The oleogels with higher MAG ratio exhibited more fibrillar‐like crystals, and the mixed oleogels with MAG:DAG of 5:5 showed altered crystal morphology with finer crystal size, reduced crystallization enthalpies and solid state possibly due to the increased nucleation seeds promoted by MAG. The oleogels with high MAG level showed lower equilibrium SFC during isothermal crystallization but faster crystallization rate, higher hardness and elasticity. Therefore, by changing the ratio of DAG to MAG, the crystallization profile and rheological properties of oleogels can be tailored. The oleogels can be used as traditional solid fat substitutes to reduce saturated fatty acid content in lipid‐based products.