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A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 12987

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Prof. Dr. Ryszard Rezler

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Department of Physics and Biophysics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Interests: biopolymers; DSC; emulsion; rheological properties; meet; texture; spectroscopy (FT-IR, NIR)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Przemyslaw Siejak

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Department of Physics and Biophysics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Interests: emulsions; fluorescence spectroscopy; FT-IR spectroscopy; rheological properties; food packaging; antioxidants; diet supplements

Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Polewski

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Department of Physics and Biophysics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Interests: food biophysics; spectroscopic methods; nanostructures; antioxidant properties of plant extracts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Gels invites you to submit an article to a Special Issue entitled “Recent Advances in Food Gels”.

Polymer gels are special colloidal systems arising from sol coagulation. They exhibit three-dimensional spatial structures. This kind of system can be characterized as a transitory state of matter or substance, which can be considered in between a solid state and a liquid state. Gels possess both elastic and viscous properties. Similar to solids, they can exhibit an elastic response, deforming as a result of external force application but returning to their original shape and dimensions when the force disappears. On the other hand, gels also show viscous behavior, as a part of displacement energy is not recovered after the force is reduced to zero. This can result in the flow of gels.

Gels based on both synthetic and natural polymers (biopolymers) can be applied to cosmetics, medicine, the food industry, and the pharmaceutical industry. These gels can improve the stability and assure desired consistency of different cosmetic and food products, for instance, creams, lotions, and yogurts. Despite many breakthroughs in the chemistry of synthetic polymers in recent years, there are still many areas for development and new challenges, such as identifying a renewable source of origin, improving cost-effectiveness, sustainability, etc. Therefore, the need for gels based on natural polymers emerges. Gels consisting of edible biopolymers such as peptides and polysaccharides are considered perspective systems to meet those expectations due to their low cost, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and renewable nature. Moreover, they exhibit a variety of functions and physical properties of gelling. Compared to synthetic polymers, edible biopolymers may play a key role in the modern and advanced design of food, especially in adjusting the desired sensorial, rheological, structural, and functional properties, preserving their metastable structure and therefore extending their shelf life. They can also replace fats as well as increase satiety to reduce food consumption.

This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality manuscripts reporting any of the following: new methods of gel design and preparation; the mechanisms and nature of gelling; and the structural, mechanical, or spectroscopic characterization of edible gels. Reports presenting the impact of edible gels on rheological, tribological, and sensory properties of foods, as well as the possibility of their usage in targeted drug delivery, and bioactivity in the gastrointestinal system are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Ryszard Rezler
Dr. Przemyslaw Siejak
Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Polewski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biopolymers
chemical properties
food gel networks
food product development
gelation mechanism
hydrogels/microgels/nanogels
multicomponent/mixed gels
oleogels/aerogels/lipogels/emulgels
physical properties
polysaccharide gels
protein gels
rheology
sensory properties of food
texture

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 6848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Study between Beeswax and Glycerol Monostearate for Food-Grade Oleogels

by Francesca Malvano, Donatella Albanese, Luciano Cinquanta, Sara Liparoti and Francesco Marra

Gels 2024, 10(4), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040214 - 22 Mar 2024

Viewed by 727

Abstract

With the aim to produce solid fats with a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, oleogels based on olive and peanut oil with different concentrations of beeswax (BW) and glycerol monostearate (GMS) as oleogelators were studied and compared. The critical oleogelator concentration for both BW and GMS was 3%. Thermal properties of the developed GMS-based oleogels pointed to a polymorphic structure, confirmed by the presence of two exothermic and endothermic peaks. All developed oleogels released less than 4% of oil, highlighting their high oil binding capacity. A morphology evaluation of oleogels showed platelet-like crystals, characterized by a cross-sectional length of 50 μm in BW-based oleogels and irregular clusters of needle-like crystals with a higher diameter in GMS-based oleogels. BW-based oleogels showed a solid fat content ranging from 1.16% to 2.27%, and no solid fat content was found at 37 °C. GMS-based oleogels reached slightly higher values of SFC that ranged from 1.58% to 2.97% at 25 °C and from 1.00% to 1.75% at 37 °C. Olive oil-based oleogels with GMS showed higher firmness compared with BW-based ones. The stronger structure network in olive oil/GMS-based oleogels provided a real physical barrier to oxidants, showing a high oxidation stability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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15 pages, 3806 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Underused Marine Resources: Sudden Properties of Cod Skin Gelatin Gel

by Yuriy F. Zuev, Svetlana R. Derkach, Liliya R. Bogdanova, Nikolai G. Voron’ko, Yulia A. Kuchina, Aidar T. Gubaidullin, Ivan V. Lunev, Oleg I. Gnezdilov, Igor A. Sedov, Radik A. Larionov, Larisa Latypova and Olga S. Zueva

Gels 2023, 9(12), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9120990 - 18 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1224

Abstract

The main object of this work was to characterize the structure and properties of laboratory-made fish gelatin from cod skin in comparison with known commercial gelatins of fish and mammalian origin. This is one way we can contribute to the World Food Program and characterize foodstuff resources from alternative natural sources. Our research was based on the combination of an expanded set of complementary physical–chemical methods to study the similarities and distinctions of hydrogels from traditional and novel gelatin sources from underused marine resources. In this work, we have compared the morphology, supramolecular structure and colloid properties of two commercial (mammalian and fish) gelatins with gelatin we extracted from cold-water cod skin in laboratory conditions. The obtained results are novel, showing that our laboratory-produced fish gelatin is much closer to the mammalian one in terms of such parameters as thermal stability and strength of structural network under temperature alterations. Especially interesting are our experimental observations comparing both fish gelatins: it was shown that the laboratory-extracted cod gelatin is essentially more thermally stable compared to its commercial analogue, being even closer in its rheological properties to the mammalian one. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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11 pages, 6232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quasielastic Neutron Scattering Study on Thermal Gelation in Aqueous Solution of Agarose

by Noriko Onoda-Yamamuro, Yasuhiro Inamura and Osamu Yamamuro

Gels 2023, 9(11), 879; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110879 - 06 Nov 2023

Viewed by 861

Abstract

The dynamics of water and agarose molecules in an agarose aqueous solution has been studied by means of quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS). The dynamic structure factor S (Q,E) of the agarose aqueous solution was fitted well to the sum of the Lorentz and delta function. The former is attributed to the diffusive motion of water molecules and the latter to the local vibrational motion of agarose molecules. The self-diffusion coefficient D of water molecules was obtained from the Q-dependence of the width of the Lorentz function, while the mean square displacement <u²> of agarose molecules was obtained from the Q-dependence of the intensity of the delta term. In the cooling direction, both D and <u²> decreased with decreasing temperature and showed discontinuous changes around the thermal gelation temperature (around 314 K). In the heating direction, however, D and <u²> did not show the obvious change below 343 K, indicating a large hysteresis effect. The present results of <u²> and D revealed that the thermal gelation suppresses the motion of the polymer and accelerates the diffusion of water molecules. The activation energy E_a of the diffusion of water in the sol state is the same as that of bulk water, but the E_a in the gel state is clearly smaller than that of bulk water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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15 pages, 1134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gel Rheological Properties and Storage Texture Kinetics of Starches Isolated from Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn.) Cultivars

by Yohannes Tolesa Wolde, Shimelis Admassu Emire, Workineh Abebe Zeleke and Felicidad Ronda

Gels 2023, 9(8), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9080631 - 06 Aug 2023

Viewed by 908

Abstract

Anchote is a tuber crop indigenous to Ethiopia. Starch hydration properties and important gel characteristics which include: color, gel rheological properties (at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10% starch:water w/w) and gel texture evolution (at 10% starch:water w/w), during 0 to 192 h storage (at 4 °C), of anchote starches isolated from four anchote cultivars (Desta 01, Desta 24, white and red) were evaluated and compared with potato and cassava starches (PS and CS). The lightness (L*) and whiteness scores of the anchote starch ranged up to >95, with slight differences among the cultivars, making them pure starches. Swelling power (SP) and water solubility index (WSI) of the anchote starches increased with increasing cooking temperature (40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C), and their rate of increase varied significantly with the control starches, as follows: CS < anchote starches < PS. Anchote starch gels resisted higher stresses before breaking their structure and showed higher elasticity with lower (tan δ)₁ values than PS and CS gels. They also had greater viscoelastic moduli even at lower concentrations than the PS and CS gels, and their stability increased with increasing concentration. The study of the gels’ texture evolution during storage revealed that anchote starch gels had significantly higher (≥40%) initial and final (after 192 h) hardness and were less adhesive than the PS gel. Despite some significant differences in the studied starch gel quality parameters among the starches from the anchote cultivars, the results suggested their promising potential as additional new materials in the development of food products, specifically as a functional ingredient for the formulation of gel-like products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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19 pages, 5164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Entrapment of Glucose Oxidase and Catalase in Silica–Calcium–Alginate Hydrogel Reduces the Release of Gluconic Acid in Must

by David del-Bosque, Josefina Vila-Crespo, Violeta Ruipérez, Encarnación Fernández-Fernández and José Manuel Rodríguez-Nogales

Gels 2023, 9(8), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9080622 - 01 Aug 2023

Viewed by 846

Abstract

Glucose oxidase (GOX) and catalase (CAT) were co-immobilized in silica–calcium–alginate hydrogels to degrade must glucose. The effect of the enzyme dose (1.2–2.4 U/mL), the initial must pH (3.6–4.0), and the incubation temperature (10–20 °C) on the glucose consumption, gluconic acid concentration, pH, and color intensity of Verdejo must was studied by using a Box–Behnken experimental design and comparing free and co-immobilized enzymes. A reduction of up to 37.3 g/L of glucose was observed in co-immobilized enzyme-treated must, corresponding to a decrease in its potential alcohol strength of 2.0% vol. (v/v), while achieving a slight decrease in its pH (between 0.28 and 0.60). This slight acidification was due to a significant reduction in the estimated gluconic acid found in the must (up to 73.7%), likely due to its accumulation inside the capsules. Regarding the operational stability of immobilized enzymes, a gradual reduction in glucose consumption was observed over eight consecutive cycles. Finally, co-immobilized enzymes showed enhanced efficiency over a reaction period of 48 h, with an 87.1% higher ratio of glucose consumed per enzyme dose in the second 24 h period compared with free enzymes. These findings provide valuable insights into the performance of GOX–CAT co-immobilized to produce reduced-alcohol wines, mitigating excessive must acidification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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16 pages, 1935 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Physicochemical Properties of a Hydrocolloid-Based Functional Food Fortified with Caulerpa lentillifera: A D-Optimal Design Approach

by Nor Atikah Husna Ahmad Nasir, Mohd Hafis Yuswan, Nor Nadiah Abd Karim Shah, Aswir Abd Rashed, Kazunori Kadota and Yus Aniza Yusof

Gels 2023, 9(7), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9070531 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1264

Abstract

This study introduced a D-optimal design mixture to assess the physicochemical properties of a hydrocolloid-based functional food fortified with C. lentillifera. The combination incorporated vital jelly constituents, including extract (10–15%), sweeteners (20–29%), gelling agents (k-carrageenan and locust bean gum (LBG)), and preservatives (0–0.05%). The dependent variables were pH, Total Soluble Solid (TSS) value, and moisture content (MS). By employing the D-optimal design approach, a quadratic polynomial model was developed, demonstrating strong correlations with the experimental data with coefficient determinations (R²) of 0.9941, 0.9907, and 0.9989 for pH, TSS, and MS, respectively. Based on the D-optimal design, the study identified the optimum combination of significant factors with a desirability of 0.917, comprising 14.35% extract, 23.00% sucrose, 21.70% fructose, 26.00% k-carrageenan, 13.00% LBG, 1.95% CaCl₂, and 0% methylparaben. The percentage of residual standard error (RSE) was less than 5%, indicating the reliability of the developed model. Furthermore, color analysis revealed significant differences among the jellies (p < 0.05). HPLC analysis demonstrated that the total sugar content in the fortified jellies was 28% lower compared to commercial jelly. Meanwhile, the bitterness level according to e-tongue showed a reduction of up to 90.5% when compared to the extract. These findings provide a valuable benchmark for the development of functional food products, ensuring their quality, safety, and extended shelf-life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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17 pages, 4058 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silica-Calcium-Alginate Hydrogels for the Co-Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase and Catalase to Reduce the Glucose in Grape Must

by David del-Bosque, Josefina Vila-Crespo, Violeta Ruipérez, Encarnación Fernández-Fernández and José Manuel Rodríguez-Nogales

Gels 2023, 9(4), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9040320 - 10 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1412

Abstract

Higher temperatures due to climate change are causing greater sugar production in grapes and more alcoholic wines. The use of glucose oxidase (GOX) and catalase (CAT) in grape must is a biotechnological green strategy to produce reduced-alcohol wines. GOX and CAT were effectively co-immobilized by sol-gel entrapment in silica-calcium-alginate hydrogel capsules. The optimal co-immobilization conditions were achieved at a concentration of the colloidal silica, sodium silicate and sodium alginate of 7.38%, 0.49% and 1.51%, respectively, at pH 6.57. The formation of a porous silica-calcium-alginate structure was confirmed by environmental scanning electron microscopy and the elemental analysis of the hydrogel by X-ray spectroscopy. The immobilized GOX showed a Michaelis–Menten kinetic, while the immobilized CAT fits better to an allosteric model. Immobilization also conferred superior GOX activity at low pH and temperature. The capsules showed a good operational stability, as they could be reused for at least 8 cycles. A substantial reduction of 26.3 g/L of glucose was achieved with encapsulated enzymes, which corresponds to a decrease in potential alcoholic strength of must of about 1.5% vol. These results show that co-immobilized GOX and CAT in silica-calcium-alginate hydrogels is a promising strategy to produce reduced-alcohol wines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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13 pages, 752 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kaniwa (Chenopodium pallidicaule)’s Nutritional Composition and Its Applicability as an Elder-Friendly Food with Gelling Agents

by Dah-Sol Kim and Fumiko Iida

Gels 2023, 9(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9010061 - 12 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1490

Abstract

(1) Background: This study attempted to develop an elder-friendly food suitable to the Korean Industrial Standard (KS) after identifying the nutritional characteristics of Kaniwa; (2) Methods: The nutrient composition and physiological activity of Kaniwa were analyzed, and the concentration of the gelling agent (guar gum, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum) to be added to Kaniwa mousse was derived through regression analysis to suit KS hardness level 1 to 3; (3) Results: It was found that Kaniwa not only had a good fatty acid composition but also had good antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. Moreover, it was found that in order to have the hardness to chew Kaniwa mousse with the tongue, it was necessary to add less than 1.97% guar gum, 4.03% locust bean gum, and 8.59% xanthan gum. In order to have a hardness that can be chewed with the gum, it was found that 2.17~4.97% guar gum, 4.45~10.28% locust bean gum, and 9.48~21.96% xanthan gum should be added; (4) Conclusions: As the aging rate and life expectancy increase, support for developmental research related to the elder-friendly industry should be continuously expanded in preparation for the upcoming super-aging society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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Review

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25 pages, 7489 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bigels as Delivery Systems: Potential Uses and Applicability in Food

by Alyssa Francavilla, Maria G. Corradini and Iris J. Joye

Gels 2023, 9(8), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9080648 - 11 Aug 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3255

Abstract

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 trans-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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Food Gels)

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