Vitamin E-fortified emulsion-templated oleogels structured with xanthan gum and soybean lecithin and their application in pound cakes

Vitamin E-fortified oleogels (E-OGs) were prepared by vitamin E-loaded emulsion template using xanthan gum (XG) and soybean lecithin (SL) as oleogelators. Optimum processing conditions of E-OGs were obtained with 0.3% XG and 2.0% SL, which exhibited a small particle diameter of 651.50 ± 23.84 nm and adequate zeta potential of −30.20 ± 2.95 mV. This zeta potential value indicates that E-OGs are very stable due to the electrostatic repulsion between particles. The oil binding capacity (OBC) of E-OGs maintained above 99.97% when the XG concentration was 0.30% or more, whereas the OBC containing 0.15% XG significantly decreased from 99.84% to 96.79% after 5 days of storage. The E-OGs prepared at 0.3% XG or higher exhibited solid-like behavior with higher G’ than G” in the results of the frequency sweep test. Solid-like behavior of E-OGs has some advantage such as ease of process, handling, and storage stability. E-OGs have been applied in pound cake manufacturing to replace commercially available butter. The rheological properties of the pound cake were analyzed using a texture profile analyzer. The hardness of the pound cake decreased significantly from 9.73 ± 1.33 N to 7.95 ± 0.58 N, and the porosity increased as butter was replaced with E-OGs, showing the potential of E-OGs to improve the quality of bakery products. E-OGs may also provide the benefits of vitamin E fortification. These results highlight the promising prospects of E-OGs in the food industry, particularly in the development of healthier and functional foods.