Rheological and physicochemical properties of novel low-fat emulgels containing flaxseed oil as a rich source of ω-3 fatty acids

The objective of this study was to evaluate the rheological and physicochemical properties of four novel emulsion gels as a food matrix to deliver enhanced levels of omega-3 fatty acids. For this purpose, locust bean, kappa-carrageenan, xanthan, and maltodextrin were used as structurants. Flaxseed oil was used as the oil phase (19%) rich in unsaturated fatty acids (approximate to 90%), especially alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 essential fatty acid comprising about 59% of the total fatty acids). The emulgels retained their stability during the study period (60 days of storage at 4 degrees C). This was demonstrated with peroxide, thiobarbituric acid, and acid values, which were below acceptable levels. Rheological measurements revealed that emulgels had good gel strength and were shear-thinning and thixotropic. They had solid-like behavior and did not show gel to sol transformation. The FT-IR analysis showed that hydrocolloids interact with each other via hydrogen bonds. These interactions were responsible for the emulgel structure. Results indicated that four formulations for emulsion gels had superior attributes to be introduced as new products to the market as a delivery tool of.-3 fatty acid in food systems.