Preparation and Characterization of Stabilized Rice Bran Oil -Oleogel as Functional Fat in Bakery Products

Abstract

This study investigates the development and characterization of oleogels formulated from Stabilized rice bran oil (SRBO) and beeswax (BW) as functional fat substitutes in bakery products. Oleogels were prepared by varying the concentration of beeswax (3%, 6%, and 9%) and evaluating their physical, chemical, and sensory properties. The results indicated a significant reduction in gelation time, from approximately 13.4 minutes for SRBO-oleogel with BW 3% to around 4.9 minutes for SRBO-oleogel with BW 9%, suggesting that higher beeswax concentrations facilitate faster gelation. The oil-binding capacity (OBC) increased notably, reaching 95.45% at 9% BW, while the firmness of the oleogels increased from 3.52 N to 4.88 N with rising BW concentrations. Chemical analysis revealed a slight increase in free fatty acid (FFA) content, from 0.25% to 0.38%, alongside a significant reduction in peroxide value (PV) from 4.30 to 1.58, indicating enhanced oxidative stability of the oleogels. The melting point also increased, from 52.5°C to 69.5°C, as the beeswax concentration increased. Furthermore, the total phenolic content (TPC) and DPPH radical scavenging activity improved, with TPC reaching 28.55 mg GAE/g and DPPH activity rising to 46.95%. Sensory evaluation of cookies made with the oleogels showed that cookies containing 200 g of SRBO- oleogel had the highest acceptability score of 9.51, indicating the potential of SRBO- oleogels as functional fat substitutes in bakery products. This study suggests that SRBO - oleogels with beeswax are promising alternatives to traditional solid fats in food formulations.