Emulsion Hydrogels Research Articles

Preparation and properties of biphasic hydrogels with tunable microstructures

Biphasic hydrogels are one of the most important biomaterials in tissue engineering due to their ability to mimic the properties of extracellular matrix. However, the lack of quantitative researches on biphasic hydrogel systems hinder the precise construction of the necessary living conditions for different cells. This fundamental study focuses on a biphasic emulsion hydrogel system consisting of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), emphasizing the importance of microstructure in determining the physicochemical properties of biphasic hydrogels. Our approach utilizes a water-in-water (W/W) emulsion system, which is easy to operate and requires no purification steps. By constructing the phase diagram of PEGDA/GelMA biphasic emulsions, we demonstrate that adjusting the volume fractions of the two components results in distinct microstructures, including droplet-based and bicontinuous forms. The composition of biphasic hydrogel significantly influences its mechanical properties, swelling behavior, and biodegradability. Furthermore, the excellent biocompatibility of PEGDA/GelMA biphasic hydrogel system was demonstrated. This study conducts a more in-depth and quantitative study of the PEGDA/GelMA biphasic system. making it a versatile platform for creating precisely biomimetic environments suitable for cell encapsulation and tissue regeneration applications.

Essential Oil Components Incorporated Emulsion Hydrogels for Eradicating Dermatophytosis Caused by Pathogenic Fungi Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis.

Dermatophytosis is a prevalent fungal infection and public health burden, majorly caused by the attack of zoophilic fungi genera of Trichophyton and Microsporum. Among them, T. mentagrophytes and M. canis are the dominating pathogens that cause dermatophytosis in humans. Though anti-fungal treatments are available, the widespread drug resistance and minimal efficacy of conventional therapies cause recurring infections. In addition, prolonged anti-fungal medications induce several systemic side effects, including hepatotoxicity and leucopenia. The anti-dermatophytic formulation of biocompatible essential oil components (EOCs) is attractive due to their highly potent anti-dermatophytic action. Herein, two EOCs, Eugenol (EU) and Isoeugenol (IU), incorporated emulsion hydrogel (EOCs-EHG) synthesized from hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate. The cytocompatibility of the hydrogels is confirmed by treating them with fibroblast and keratinocyte cell lines. The EOCs-EHG demonstrated pH and temperature-responsive sustained release of entrapped EOCs and inhibited fungal spore germination. T. mentagrophytes and M. canis biofilms are eradicated at a minimal inhibitory concentration of 2µg mL-1 each of EU and IU. The in vivo anti-dermatophytic activity of EOCs-EHG is confirmed in dermatophyte-infected Wistar albino rat models. The topical application of EOCs-EHG demonstrated complete infection eradication and facilitated skin regeneration, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of EOCs-EHG against dermatophytosis.

Chitosan-Oxidized Pullulan Hydrogels Loaded with Essential Clove Oil: Synthesis, Characterization, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties.

Emulsion hydrogels are promising materials for encapsulating and stabilizing high amounts of hydrophobic essential oils in hydrophilic matrices. In this work, clove oil-loaded hydrogels (CS/OP-C) are synthesized by combining covalent and physical cross-linking approaches. First, clove oil (CO) was emulsified and stabilized in a chitosan (CS) solution, which was further hardened by Schiff base covalent cross-linking with oxidized pullulan (OP). Second, the hydrogels were subjected to freeze-thaw cycles and, as a result, the clove oil was stabilized in physically cross-linked polymeric walls. Moreover, due to cryogelation, the obtained hydrogels exhibited sponge-like porous interconnected morphology (160-250 µm). By varying the clove oil content in the starting emulsion and the degree of cross-linking, the hydrogels displayed a high water retention capacity (swelling ratios between 1300 and 2000%), excellent elastic properties with fast shape recovery (20 s) after 70% compression, and controlled in vitro clove oil release in simulated skin conditions for 360 h. Furthermore, the prepared clove oil-loaded hydrogels had a strong scavenging activity of 83% and antibacterial and antifungal properties, showing a bacteriostatic effect after 48 and 72 h against S. aureus and E. coli. Our results recommend the new clove oil-embedded emulsion hydrogels as promising future materials for application as wound dressings.

Multifunctional gelatin nanoparticle stabilized-Pickering emulsion hydrogel based on dextran and amikacin with controlled drug release and enhanced antibacterial capability for promoting infected wound healing

Plant essential oils possess broad-spectral antimicrobial property, but the applications are impeded by their insolubility in water, extreme volatility, and strong irritation. Nanoparticle-stabilized emulsion (Pickering emulsion) gels are colloidal systems with ability to accommodate two immiscible phases in one system. The thick adsorption nanoparticle layers and the cross-linked networks in continuous phase could provide protective barriers for antibacterial oil and achieve on-demand controlled release. An emulsion hydrogel templated from gelatin nanoparticle-stabilized emulsion is one-pot constructed by conducting a tunable cross-linking process between oxidized dextran (Odex) and amikacin in the continuous phase and concomitantly trapping tea tree essential oil (TO) droplets in the three-dimensional network. The resulted emulsion hydrogel presents tunable gelation time, adequate mechanical strength, fascinating injectability, and self-healing capability. It is pH-responsiveness and presents controlled release of amikacin and TO, exhibiting a long-term bacteriostasis of 144 h. The emulsion hydrogel facilitates the outstanding wound healing efficiency in 14 days (95.2 ± 0.8 % of wound closure), accompanied with enhanced collagen deposition and angiogenic activities. The incorporation of TO into emulsion hydrogel system reduced its irritation and improved its biosafety, showing potential application in bacteria inhibition even as implants in vivo.

Preparation of emulsion hydrogels encapsulating extractant by the Pickering emulsion template method to recover lanthanum ions in aqueous solutions

Abstract To solve the problem of liquid–liquid extraction of La(III), the oil-in-water Pickering emulsions were prepared by utilizing the aqueous solution of sodium alginate as the continuous phase, kerosene-diluted extractant di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (P204) as the dispersed phase, and modified silica as an emulsifier. Then the emulsions were added to a calcium chloride solution to prepare the Pickering emulsion hydrogels (PEHGs) to better remove La(III). The PEHGs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption properties of PEHGs for La(III) in the aqueous solution were investigated using a UV–vis spectrophotometer. The study found that P204 was successfully coated by hydrogels and reached the highest adsorption capacity of 48 mg/g at pH 4. The amount of adsorption increased with the rise in temperature from 298 to 318 K. La(III) adsorption experimental data were more consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of La(III) by PEHGs was a spontaneous endothermic process. The internal diffusion model revealed a linear relationship, indicating that internal diffusion played a role in the adsorption process. The encapsulating property of PEHGs indicated its potential usefulness in industrial wastewater for treating La(III).

Pickering emulsion hydrogel beads for curcumin encapsulation and food application

Pickering emulsion hydrogel beads for curcumin encapsulation and food application

Preparation of Pickering emulsion hydrogels containing indium(III) extractants and their indium(III) recycling properties

Preparation of Pickering emulsion hydrogels containing indium(III) extractants and their indium(III) recycling properties

Preparation of a Novel Sorbent Based on Pickering Emulsions Polymerization Method for Encapsulating Extractants and the Adsorption of Indium in an Aqueous Solution

AbstractThe recovery of indium from impregnating resins in water is usually limited by the poor bonding of the extractant to the carrier resin. Pickering emulsion hydrogels (PEHGs) encapsulating extractant bis(2‐ethylhexyl) phosphate are prepared by oil‐in‐water Pickering emulsions polymerization method using polyvinyl alcohol and sodium alginate as continuous phases and nano‐SiO2 and alkylphenol ethoxylates‐10 (OP‐10) as emulsifiers. PEHGs are used to recover trivalent In(III) from water to study its encapsulation and adsorption properties. Pickering emulsions are characterized by optical microscopy. PEHGs are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the stabilization time of Pickering emulsions improved from 3 min to ≈14 days after the addition of 5 wt.% of OP‐10. The internal structure of 4‐Pickering emulsion hydrogels (4‐PEHGs) prepared from Pickering emulsions co‐stabilized by nano‐SiO2 and OP‐10 is changed from core‐shell to honeycomb structure and no oil phase leakage occurred. In(III) adsorption is carried out on 4‐PEHGs. The results showed that the maximum adsorption of In(III) in water by 4‐PEHGs is 18.03 mg g−1. The adsorption process of In(III) is controlled by chemisorption. This study showed that 4‐PEHGs can be used as an effective adsorbent for the recovery of indium in water.

Synthesis of a novel pH-responsive Fe3O4/chitosan/agarose double nanoemulsion as a promising Nanocarrier with sustained release of curcumin to treat MCF-7 cell line

Nanotechnology, using drug carriers, has gained remarkable achievements in treating cancer by inhibiting the adverse effects of traditional therapeutic methods, such as applying curcumin. Using chitosan could help to target tumors, without harming healthy cells. Also, magnetic iron oxide provides a high specific area to increase the capability of the nano-scale vehicle to load curcumin. A double emulsion hydrogel of Fe3O4/chitosan/agarose was synthesized and curcumin was loaded with loading and entrapment efficacies of 48.25 % and 87.5 %, respectively. The crystalline nature of the nanocomposites was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transforms spectroscopy investigated the functional groups of the components. The results of DLS and zeta potential showed proper particle size and surface charge, which are important for making the EPR effect and stability of the developed drug delivery system. The release profile of curcumin from the nanocarrier presented a sustained and pH-responsive release, avoiding overdosage and decreasing side effects. The best kinetic model that the release data could be fitted on was Hixon-Crowell. Finally, from the cytotoxicity of the prepared nanocomposite, it was concluded that the nanocarrier is biocompatible, and from flow cytometry analysis, a high apoptosis percentage proved that the effect of the designed drug delivery system on MCF-7 cell lines is programmed. Hence, this curcumin-loaded double emulsion could mitigate cancer therapy restrictions, with a minimum toxic effect on cultured cells.

Preparation of two-component Pickering emulsion hydrogels for the removal of zinc ions from aqueous solutions.

Traditional liquid-solid extraction methods for the removal of zinc ions (Zn(II)) were generally limited by the leakage of extractant and low extraction capacity. The two-component Pickering emulsion hydrogels (PEHGs) in which the synergistic 2-ethylhexyl hydrogen-2-ethylhexylphosphate/tributyl phosphate (EHEHPA/TBP) was encapsulated in a semi-penetrating polymer network (SIPN) structured hydrogels polyacrylamide/sodium alginate (PAM/SA) were prepared by the Pickering emulsions polymerization route. The PEHGs were characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA, and tensile mechanical measurements, and their self-healing properties were explored. The adsorption performance of PEHGs on Zn(II) was investigated. The results showed that the encapsulation of the extractant reached 95% due to the hydrogels network and nano-silica (nano-SiO2) particle network in PEHGs-15. The critical crashing pressure of PEHGs-15 was 0.084 MPa, and the adsorption after 3 h of healing was only 86% of the original amount. The maximum adsorption capacity of PEHGs-15 on Zn(II) was 76.51 mg/g at pH 5. The functional groups of SA and EHEHPA/TBP enhanced the adsorption capacity of PEHGs-15 by chelating with Zn(II). After five adsorption-desorption cycles, the adsorption capacity of PEHGs-15 exceeded 85% of the initial one. The excellent mechanical properties, self-healing, and regenerative properties of PEHGs-15 offer the potential to remove Zn(II) from the solution.

Use of oil mixture emulsion hydrogels as partial animal fat replacers in dry-fermented foal sausages

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of partial replacement of animal fat by oil mixture emulsion hydrogels on the quality properties of dry-fermented foal sausages. Three batches were elaborated: control (CON) – 100 % of pork fat; treatments 1 and 2 (T1 and T2) – 50 % of pork fat was replaced by oil mixture emulsions, tigernut (T1) or sesame oils (T2) blended with algal oil. Lipid reformulations reduced (P < 0.001) fat (36.91 % vs about 30 %, for CON and reformulated samples, respectively), and moisture contents (33.57 % vs about 28 %, for CON and reformulated samples, respectively), while darker sausages were obtained. These changes in the both, fat and moisture contents, have an important influence on the texture parameters, since reformulated samples presented higher values of hardness (283–317 N) than control samples (152 N). Both oil emulsion hydrogels favored a decrease (P < 0.001) of saturated fatty acids (34.16 vs 30 g/100 g of fat), an increase (P < 0.001) of mono- (T1) and polyunsaturated (T2) fatty acids (depending on the batch), and an improvement of all health indices as omega-6/omega-3 (n-3/n-6) and polyunsaturated fatty acids/ saturated fatty acid ratios (PUFA/SFA), atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI) indices and hypocholesterolaemic/hypercholesterolaemic ratio (h/H). T2 seemed to reduce (P < 0.001) the lipid oxidation in the samples, while T1 presented the highest values. On the other hand, the terpenes and terpenoids were the most abundant volatile compounds (VOCs) found in all sausages, mainly due to the use of pepper as flavoring spice. Several differences were observed on the content of different individual VOCs (hydrocarbons, acids, alcohols, aldehydes, etc.) and also in the total VOCs content, due of both, differences in lipid oxidation processes (in accordance with TBARS values) and also the moisture and fat content of the samples. Nevertheless, consumer acceptability resulted to be unaffected (T1) or improved (T2) by the fat reformulation. Thus, overall results pointed out that the use of T2 emulsion hydrogel as a partial animal fat replacer could be a promising strategy to achieve healthier dry-cured foal sausages with high consumers’ approval.

Pickering emulsion hydrogel based on alginate-gellan gum with carboxymethyl chitosan as a pH-responsive controlled release delivery system

Pickering emulsion hydrogels (PEHs) were developed as a pH-responsive, controlled-release delivery system to address the limitations of Pickering emulsions in some harsh processing or gastrointestinal conditions. Specifically, the PEHs were fabricated based on alginate and various concentrations of gellan gum (GG) with carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) matrix. The encapsulation efficiency (EE), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results proved the successful encapsulation. Furthermore, the hydrogels remained stable in the presence of destabilizing ions (Na+ or phosphate ions) and high osmotic pressure mediums. The texture profile analysis (TPA) characteristics and Young's modulus of the 0.8 % GG (w/v) PEHs were superior to the others. The PEHs prevented the emulsions from being released at pH 2.0, while the emulsions were entirely released at pH 7.4 in vitro, with the rate of release controlled by CMCS and the degree by GG concentration. This work facilitates the delivery of Pickering emulsions with excellent stability and pH-responsive controlled release for hydrophobic actives in food applications.

Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of novel HIPE hydrogels: Application for treatment of hazardous waste incineration plant effluent

Novel high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) hydrogels were prepared by oil-in-water emulsion copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) in the presence of N,N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAm) as a crosslinker. Poly(ethylene oxide) based macroinimer was also used as an additional co-surfactant and co-crosslinker. The amount of NIPAm and macroinimer was varied to optimize composition of the hydrogels which sequentially enhanced swelling and metal ion binding capabilities. Swelling properties of all HIPE hydrogels were investigated at different temperatures with a maximum swelling percentage value of ∼2100% determined at 25 °C. Young’s modulus (E) of HIPE hydrogels which is a critical property for understanding their mechanical bevaiors was also calculated and the value increased from 5 to 13 MPa by increasing macroinimer amount. Finally, the use of the prepared HIPE hydrogels in a process to identify the best fitting hydrogel composition was applied as binding materials for the recovery of heavy metals ions such as Pb2+, Cu2+ and Hg2+ from hazardous waste incineration plant effluent. Results deduced a decrease in heavy metal ion binding capacity with increasing temperature in the studied range from 25 °C to 40 °C. Furthermore, heavy metal ion removal based on Venturi scrubber and physicochemical (P/C) plant effluent as wastewater was determined and the maximum binding capacities of the hydrogels were in the magnitude of Cu2+≅ Hg2+ > Pb2+ and Cu2+ > Pb2+ > Hg2+ for Venturi scrubber and P/C plant effluent, respectively.

Formation of poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐embedded bioactive nanoparticles/collagen hierarchical scaffolds with the designed and customized porous structures

AbstractThe biodegradable and bioactive bioscaffolds with suitable hierarchical structure, customized shape, and mechanical performance have great potential for biomedical applications especially in tissue engineering field. However, controllable and facile preparation of the related porous scaffolds remains obvious challenge. In this study, poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)‐embedded hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles/collagen hierarchical scaffolds are facilely prepared basing on 3D printing of the pre‐crosslinked oil in water type Pickering high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) hydrogel. To be specific, in the HAP nanoparticle stabilized Pickering HIPEs, the aqueous phase contains collagen and genipin, and the oil phase is dichloromethane solution of PCL. After the pre‐crosslinking of aqueous phase, the prepared Pickering HIPE turns into emulsion hydrogel with high viscosity and shear thinning characteristics, which can be individually printed and then freeze dried to produce hierarchical scaffolds with the designed structures. The related multiscale pore structures are composed of mm‐scale macropores and μm‐scale micropores, and the related porosity is higher than 84%. Increasing PCL content obviously enhances the compression stress of scaffolds, particularly the compressive stress of porous scaffold prepared with PCL content of 14 w/v% is about 9 times as large as that of porous scaffold without PCL. The results of in vitro mineralization and cell culture assay show that the porous scaffolds have favorable apatite formation ability and biocompatibility. Thus, the prepared hierarchical scaffolds with the designed structures, customized shape and adjustable performance are promising potential applications in bone tissue engineering.

Investigation of construction and characterization of carboxymethyl chitosan - sodium alginate nanoparticles to stabilize Pickering emulsion hydrogels for curcumin encapsulation and accelerating wound healing

Limitations in compatibility and effectiveness in delivering bioactive compounds often make it prohibitively difficult to apply Pickering emulsions in wound dressing. In this research, we prepared Pickering emulsion composite hydrogels based on carboxymethyl chitosan - sodium alginate (CMCS-SA) nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized Pickering emulsions, poloxamer 407 (PLX), and curcumin (CUR). CMCS-SA NPs were prepared and used to stabilize Pickering emulsion. The stability of Pickering emulsion improved with the increase of the concentration of NPs, and was highly sensitive to ionic strength change. This Pickering emulsion remained stable at various temperatures. After curcumin were introduced into the emulsion, 0.6% CMCS-SA NPs Pickering emulsion showed controlled release of curcumin in vitro. The CMCS-SA-PLX-CUR hydrogels also exhibited smooth surface and dense structure. This composite hydrogels has antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the CMCS-SA-PLX-CUR hydrogels improved wound healing and increased expression of Ki67 and CD31. RT-qPCR results indicated that the mRNA levels of α-SMA and TGF-β1 in the CMCS-SA-PLX-CUR group were downregulated, while the mRNA levels of TGF-β3 increased. The present study suggests that the potentials of CMCS-SA-PLX-CUR hydrogels are promising in protecting bioactive components and wound care management.

Use of Healthy Emulsion Hydrogels to Improve the Quality of Pork Burgers.

The present research evaluated the use of oil mixture emulsion hydrogels as animal fat replacers and their effect on the physicochemical, nutritional and sensory characteristics of pork burgers. Three different types of burgers were manufactured: control (samples elaborated with 100% pork fat), T1 and T2 (pork fat totally replaced by emulsion hydrogels of walnut or pistachio oil and algal oil, respectively). Fat replacement increased the moisture and ash contents and colour parameters (L* and b*) of pork burgers. Modified samples turned out to be firmer and chewier than those in the control group. The addition of oil emulsion hydrogels caused a significant decrease in fat and energy contents and the products obtained can be considered “reduced fat content”. Moreover, the content of saturated fatty acids decreased, while mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids increased, constituting an improvement in health indices. Sensory differences were found between the samples and T2 was the most preferred for flavour and overall. However, both modified burgers had good levels of acceptability. To conclude, the use of the proposed oil mixture emulsion hydrogels as pork backfat substitutes represents a promising strategy to obtain healthier pork burgers without negatively affecting technological or sensory properties.

Antibacterial thyme oil-loaded zwitterionic emulsion hydrogels.

Emulsion hydrogels are structurally composite materials combining the advantages of emulsions and hydrogels with the ability to accommodate hydrophobic and hydrophilic components in one system. It is a promising strategy for the excellent encapsulation and delivery of many bioactive ingredients. In this work, the thyme oil-loaded zwitterionic emulsion hydrogels are constructed by the cellulose acetoacetate-horseradish peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide-initiated (CAA-HRP-H2O2-initiated) ternary enzyme-mediated polymerization of the thyme oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions stabilized by cellulose acetoacetate (CAA). CAA is the key component in the system, acting as the emulsifier and the polymerization mediator simultaneously. The formed zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) hydrogel network provides emulsion hydrogels with good hydration capacity and potential anti-fouling performance. The thyme oil-loaded zwitterionic emulsion hydrogels exhibit interconnected, uniform, and adjustable porous structures with tunable mechanical properties, antifouling performance, good biocompatibility, and excellent antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. These results all demonstrate that the ternary enzyme-mediated polymerization of zwitterionic monomers in the continuous phase of O/W emulsion templates is a facile and efficient strategy to encapsulate hydrophobic bioactive ingredients.

Co-encapsulation of (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate and quercetin in double emulsion hydrogel beads: Microstructures, functional properties, and digestion behaviors

Co-loaded (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and quercetin double emulsions and hydrogel beads were prepared, and their structure, functions, and digestion characteristics were investigated. The double emulsion particles were adsorbed by the cross-linked chains of the hydrogel beads. The encapsulation efficiencies of EGCG and quercetin within the hydrogel beads were higher than those within the double emulsion, while the antioxidant activities of the double emulsions were higher than those of the hydrogel beads. A lower amount of free fatty acids (FFAs) was released from the hydrogel beads than that released from the double emulsions. The bioavailability of EGCG was higher in the hydrogel beads than those in the double emulsions, while the quercetin bioavailability was not significantly different expect for the ratio of 3:7. The hydrogel beads remained intact in the stomach; however, numerous oil spills occurred in the small intestine. These data may improve double-emulsion-based delivery systems for controlled lipolysis and the release of co-encapsulated hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds.

Emulsion hydrogel microbeads encapsulating extractants prepared by O/W/O double Pickering emulsions for the recovery of Cu(II) from water

In a double emulsion, the cross contamination between internal and external phase is an unavoidable problem, which limits its widely application. This work focused on the preparation of the cross contamination-free O/W/O Pickering emulsions for the fabrication of Pickering emulsion hydrogel (PEHG) microbeads encapsulating copper extractants. KH-570 was used to hydrophobically modify silica for the stabilization of O/W Pickering emulsions. Batch and fixed-bed experiments were conducted for the recovery of Cu(Ⅱ) from water using PEHG microbeads. The results showed that the formed particle-polymer networks in oil-water interface strengthen the stability of O/W Pickering emulsions. The cross contamination ratio of O/W/O Pickering emulsions was reduced to less than 3% under preset conditions. The size of PEHG microbeads was controlled by adjusting the dosage of hydrophobic silica and the optimal diameter used in extraction was 1.8–2.2 mm. The extraction capacity of copper extractants in PEHG microbeads was 86.43 mg/g, with the operation time of 80 min (D = 1.8 mm). The fixed-bed extraction experiment was completed in 250 min and the stripping rate was 97.1%. Compared to previous work, the extractants in PEHG microbeads possessed a better utilization.

Physicochemical composition and nutritional properties of foal burgers enhanced with healthy oil emulsion hydrogels

SummaryThis study investigates the effect of animal fat replacement by oil mixture emulsion hydrogels on quality characteristics of foal burgers. Three batches were manufactured: control (CON) – 100% of pork fat; treatments 1 and 2 (T1 and T2) – pork fat was totally replaced using oil mixture emulsions, avocado (T1) or pumpkin seed (T2) mixed with algal oil. These fat replacements were accompanied by a significant decrease in fat content (P &lt; 0.001) and colour parameters (P &lt; 0.05). Any significant differences in texture were observed in reformulated patties, except for gumminess (P &lt; 0.05) and chewiness (P &lt; 0.001). Moreover, a healthier fatty acid profile was reached (P &lt; 0.001), saturated fat decreased, mono‐ (T1) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (T2) increased and an improvement of all health indices was observed. However, the sensory acceptability of burgers was unaffected (P &gt; 0.05). Thus, these fat reformulations represent a promising strategy to obtain healthier foal burgers with improved nutritional characteristics without affecting sensory properties.