Fabrication and characterization of emulsion-template oleogels assembled from octenyl succinic anhydride starch/chitosan electrostatic complexes

The creation of solid fat substitutes using food-grade biopolymers is currently an important focus of food researchers trying to develop healthier food products. In this study, emulsion-templated oleogels assembled from octenyl succinic anhydride starch (OS)-chitosan (CS) electrostatic complexes were prepared. The effects of the OS-CS complexes on the intermediate (emulsion) and final (oleogel) products were investigated. Emulsions stabilized by OS-CS complexes had greater interfacial layer stability and mechanical strength than those stabilized by only OS. The oil loss from the oleogels decreased significantly ( p  < 0.05) as the chitosan concentration was raised: from 10.28 to 1.5% oil loss for 0.1–1% CS. The rheological measurements showed that CS incorporation improved the viscoelasticity and thixotropy of the oleogels. In addition, adsorption of the OS-CS complexes inhibited lipid oxidation and hydrolysis due to its compact network and stable interfacial structure. Our results show that OS-CS complexes are effective emulsion-template oleogelators, which may be useful for creating new edible functional materials for application in the food industry.