title: The effects of intermolecular interactions on the physical properties of organogels in edible oils.
abstract: The microstructure of organogels based on monoglycerides of fatty acids (MAGs) and policosanol and on different edible oils was investigated by using different techniques (calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, rheology, polarized light microscopy) towards a better understanding and control of the oil gelation phenomena. Dynamic moduli were related via a fractal model to microstructural information such as solid content and fractal dimension. Infrared spectroscopy evidenced that network structure in MAGs gel is mainly due to hydrogen bonding, whereas in policosanol system is mainly given by van der Waals interactions. Because of the different relative contribution of molecular interactions, the investigated organogelators exhibit a distinguished macroscopic behavior. MAGs are sensitive to the utilized oil and structuration occurs quickly, even though at a temperature lower than policosanol. Policosanol organogels exhibit a behavior independent of the used oil and a slower gelation rate, as a result of the weaker van der Waals interactions. Nevertheless, at lower concentration a stronger final gel is obtained, probably due to of the large number of interactions arising among the long alkyl chains of the fatty alcohols. Obtained results evidenced that policosanol is very effective in gelation of different oils and seems promising for potential commercial uses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Information, Modeling, Electronics and System Engineering (D.I.M.E.S.), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 39C, I-87036 Rende, CS, Italy. Electronic address: francesca.lupi@unical.it.
authors.forename: Francesca R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.affiliation: Department of Information, Modeling, Electronics and System Engineering (D.I.M.E.S.), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 39C, I-87036 Rende, CS, Italy. Electronic address: valeria.greco@unical.it.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.affiliation: Department of Information, Modeling, Electronics and System Engineering (D.I.M.E.S.), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 39C, I-87036 Rende, CS, Italy. Electronic address: noemi.baldino@unical.it.
authors.forename: Noemi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baldino
authors.affiliation: Department of Information, Modeling, Electronics and System Engineering (D.I.M.E.S.), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 39C, I-87036 Rende, CS, Italy. Electronic address: bruno.decindio@unical.it.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Cindio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: peter.fischer@hest.ethz.ch.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Department of Information, Modeling, Electronics and System Engineering (D.I.M.E.S.), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 39C, I-87036 Rende, CS, Italy. Electronic address: domenico.gabriele@unical.it.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gabriele
mesh_terms: D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D005524:Food Technology; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D050178:Monoglycerides / Q000737:chemistry*; D000069463:Olive Oil / Q000737:chemistry*; D044367:Phase Transition; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D012212:Rheology; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D005782:Gels; D050178:Monoglycerides; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; C080710:policosanol
keywords: DSC; Edible oils; FT-IR; Hydrogen bonding; Monoglycerides of fatty acids; Organogel; Policosanol; Rheology; Van der Waals interactions