Oleogéis bioativos à base de amido de feijão e curcumina como agente antioxidante e substituto de gordura saturada

Abstract

Saturated fats play an important role in food, conferring sensory and technological properties. On the other hand, excess consumption of foods rich in these fats has been associated with the incidence of non-communicable diseases. It is therefore a challenge to find ways of replacing these fats without altering the sensory and technological aspects of food. Oleogels represent a promising alternative for the total or partial replacement of such fats. The aim of this study was to produce oleogels from a gelled emulsion of sunflower oil, beeswax, native carioca bean starch or starch modified with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA), incorporating different concentrations of curcumin (0; 0.1 and 0.5 w/w). The oleogels were evaluated for their stability, oil retention capacity, texture, color, loss of mass and antioxidant activity. The results obtained were promising. Modification with OSA reduced viscosity breakdown and retrogradation of carioca bean starch. The oleogels in their different formulations showed emulsion stability during 30 days of storage. They also showed structural stability, with an oil retention capacity of over 96% and satisfactory oxidative activity, with results within the legal requirements. In terms of texture parameters, the oleogels made with the modified starch showed a reduction in hardness on the first day of storage. Incorporating curcumin into the oleogels reduced their oxidative activity, demonstrating their antioxidant activity. In view of the above, it can be considered that the oleogels showed favorable physicochemical characteristics for future application in foods, such as meat products, as a substitute for saturated fat and as an antioxidant agent; however, further studies should continue to be carried out to evaluate the behavior of these materials in food matrices.