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Recent Developments in Food Gels (2nd Edition)
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Recent Developments in Food Gels (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Chemistry and Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 5046

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan
Interests: nanoscience and nanotechnology; nanodiagnostics and nanotherapeutics; sensors; food/environmental/agricultural waste valorization; food and environmental toxins—analysis and treatment; food and environmental analytical chemistry; novel and green extraction/pretreatment techniques; chromatography—method development; pharmacokinetics and bioavailability; adsorption science and technology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gels are polymeric colloids with viscoelastic properties and can incorporate large quantities of water, air or oil within their 3D networks; due to their unique properties, they have great potential for broader applications. Although some challenges in designing gels have been overcome due to major breakthroughs in synthetic polymer chemistry, emerging challenges, such as source renewability, cost effectiveness and sustainability, remain. Therefore, there is considerable demand for gels prepared from natural sources. Gels prepared from food biopolymers such as proteins and polysaccharides have great potential to meet these challenges because of the affordable, edible, biocompatible, biodegradable and renewable nature of their building blocks. Additionally, they possess a range of functions and physical gelation characteristics. Compared to synthetic gels, food gels play a critical role in modern food design to achieve the desired sensorial, rheological, textural and functional properties; moreover, they are used to preserve metastable food structures to increase shelf-life, replace fats, enhance satiety to reduce food intake, and aid in the design of complex food shapes through 3D printing. Further research is necessary to unravel the fabrication methods, gelling mechanisms, novel design approaches and structural/mechanical properties of food gels. Furthermore, it is important to investigate how such food gel design principles alter the rheological and tribological properties of foods to enable their quality improvement and nutrient modification without affecting their sensory properties; moreover, researchers should investigate how these gels may be used in targeted drug/bioactive delivery within the gastrointestinal tract. 

Thus, this Special Issue on Recent Developments in Food Gels will present research papers and review articles on topics including, but not limited to: 

  • Food gel fabrication using novel processing methods;
  • Polymerization/crosslinking methods;
  • The elucidation of molecular mechanisms;
  • Innovative analytical approaches to characterizing the molecular structure–function relationship of food gels;
  • Food gel–body interaction.

Dr. Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hydrogels (macrogels)/microgels/nanogels
  • oleogels/aerogels/lipogels/emulgels
  • multicomponent/mixed gels
  • food gel networks
  • natural biopolymers
  • stimuli-responsive food gels
  • herbal gels
  • self-assembled gels
  • food product development
  • food fortification
  • GIT uptake and release
  • natural product encapsulation and delivery

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2555 KiB  
Article
Peanut and Soy Protein-Based Emulsion Gels Loaded with Curcumin as a New Fat Substitute in Sausages: A Comparative Study
by Hong-Yan Yan and Shao-Bing Zhang
Gels 2025, 11(1), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11010062 - 13 Jan 2025
Viewed by 447
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the complete or partial substitution (0, 20, 40, and 100%) of the pork backfat in prepared sausage with protein emulsion gels loaded with curcumin. The effects of three protein emulsion gels (i.e., [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the complete or partial substitution (0, 20, 40, and 100%) of the pork backfat in prepared sausage with protein emulsion gels loaded with curcumin. The effects of three protein emulsion gels (i.e., peanut proteins, ultrasound-modified peanut proteins, and soy proteins) on sausage characteristics (cooking loss, textural properties, microstructure, sensory characteristics, and antioxidant activity) were investigated and compared using a one-way analysis of variance and Duncan’s multiple tests. The results revealed that the addition of each emulsion gel reduced cooking loss and improved the textural properties of the sausages in a dose-dependent manner. When 20% of pork backfat was substituted with untreated or ultrasound-modified peanut protein emulsion gel (PPEG), cooking loss decreased to a greater extent than when soy protein emulsion gel (SPEG) was used. However, the latter yielded higher cohesiveness and resilience at the same substitution levels. Compared with untreated PPEG, the sausages containing modified PPEG (at 200 W for 20 min) had significantly greater resilience and a denser microstructure. In addition, when 100% of pork backfat was substituted with modified PPEG, the sausages had desirable sensory characteristics. All sausages enriched with protein emulsion gels loaded with curcumin presented higher DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging capacities than the control sausages. The sausages prepared with the modified PPEG had the highest antioxidant activity (DPPH: 37.43 ± 0.35%; ABTS: 39.48 ± 0.50%; TBARS: 0.65 ± 0.05 mg MDA/Kg), which may be attributed to the increased stability of curcumin in the modified PPEG with a denser network structure. Therefore, ultrasound-modified PPEG loaded with curcumin can be used as a new fat substitute in functional sausages or other healthy meat products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in Food Gels (2nd Edition))
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16 pages, 1896 KiB  
Article
Texture Perception and Chewing of Agar Gel by People with Different Sensitivity to Hardness
by Vasily Smirnov, Daria Khramova, Elizaveta Chistiakova, Natalya Zueva, Fedor Vityazev, Inga Velskaya and Sergey Popov
Gels 2025, 11(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11010005 - 26 Dec 2024
Viewed by 444
Abstract
Hardness is one of the dominant sensory characteristics of food. This study estimated the effect of sensitivity to hardness on the texture perception and chewing function using 2, 4, and 6% agar gels. Increasing the concentration of agar resulted in an increase in [...] Read more.
Hardness is one of the dominant sensory characteristics of food. This study estimated the effect of sensitivity to hardness on the texture perception and chewing function using 2, 4, and 6% agar gels. Increasing the concentration of agar resulted in an increase in gel hardness and springiness, measured by texture profile analysis. Non-trained participants (n = 95) reported more subjective hardness and springiness during chewing gel samples as the agar concentration increased. Based on the relationship value of the instrumental and sensory data, all participants were divided into low-, medium-, and high-sensitivity groups (n = 25, 44, and 26). Low sensitivity to hardness was associated with low sensitivity to brittleness, springiness, chewiness, moisture, and swallowability. In all three groups, enhanced agar gel hardness increased the temporal chewing characteristics in a similar manner. However, in those with a high hardness sensitivity, the area amplitude of the masseter and temporalis muscles grew to a lesser extent than in those with a low or medium sensitivity. The activity of the suprahyoid muscles increased with the increasing agar gel hardness, regardless of sensitivity. All groups showed a similar salivation and bolus fragmentation while chewing gel. Thus, people’s sensitivity to hardness was associated with different perceptions of the gel’s textural properties and changes in masticatory muscle activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in Food Gels (2nd Edition))
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19 pages, 5417 KiB  
Article
Effect of Carrot Callus Cells on the Mechanical, Rheological, and Sensory Properties of Hydrogels Based on Xanthan and Konjac Gums
by Elena Günter, Oxana Popeyko, Fedor Vityazev, Natalia Zueva, Inga Velskaya and Sergey Popov
Gels 2024, 10(12), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10120771 - 27 Nov 2024
Viewed by 581
Abstract
The study aims to develop a plant-based food gel with a unique texture using callus cells and a mixture of xanthan (X) and konjac (K) gums. The effect of encapsulation of carrot callus cells (0.1 and 0.2 g/mL) on properties of X-K hydrogels [...] Read more.
The study aims to develop a plant-based food gel with a unique texture using callus cells and a mixture of xanthan (X) and konjac (K) gums. The effect of encapsulation of carrot callus cells (0.1 and 0.2 g/mL) on properties of X-K hydrogels was studied using the mechanical and rheological analysis with a one-way ANOVA and Student’s t-test used for statistical analysis. Hedonic evaluation and textural features were obtained from 35 volunteers using a nine-point hedonic scale and a 100 mm visual analog scale with the Friedman’s test and the Durbin post hoc test used for statistical analysis. Mechanical hardness, gumminess, and elasticity increased by 1.1–1.3 and 1.1–1.8 times as a result of encapsulation 0.1 and 0.2 g/mL cells, respectively. The addition of cells to the hydrogels resulted in an increase in the complex viscosity, strength, and number of linkages in the gel. The hydrogel samples received identical ratings for overall and consistency liking, as well as taste, aroma, and texture features. However, the callus cell-containing hydrogel had a graininess score that was 82% higher than the callus cell-free hydrogel. The obtained hydrogels based on gums and immobilized carrot callus cells with unique textures may be useful for the development of diverse food textures and the production of innovative functional foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in Food Gels (2nd Edition))
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14 pages, 3751 KiB  
Article
Microencapsulation Efficiency of Carboxymethylcellulose, Gelatin, Maltodextrin, and Acacia for Aroma Preservation in Jasmine Instant Tea
by Muneeba Naseer Chaudhary, Xiaolin Li, Siyue Yang, Damao Wang, Liyong Luo, Liang Zeng and Wei Luo
Gels 2024, 10(10), 670; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10100670 - 21 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1367
Abstract
Enhancing the sensory appeal of jasmine instant tea, particularly its aroma, poses a significant challenge due to the loss of volatile organic compounds during conventional processing. This study introduces a novel approach to address this issue through the application of microencapsulation techniques, aimed [...] Read more.
Enhancing the sensory appeal of jasmine instant tea, particularly its aroma, poses a significant challenge due to the loss of volatile organic compounds during conventional processing. This study introduces a novel approach to address this issue through the application of microencapsulation techniques, aimed at preserving these key aromatic elements. Our investigation focused on the encapsulating agents gelatin, acacia gum, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and maltodextrin, chosen for their compatibility with the volatile organic compounds of tea. A statistical analysis was conducted on the analytical results through comprehensive analytical techniques like Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), and Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) analysis for microcapsule characterization. The statistical analysis revealed gelatin to be a particularly effective encapsulating medium, preserving an aroma profile more akin to fresh tea. The statistical analysis confirmed the reliability of these findings, highlighting the potential of microencapsulation in refining the quality of jasmine instant tea products. The results of this research suggest that microencapsulation could be instrumental in improving the sensory quality and shelf life of instant tea products, offering new opportunities for product enhancement in the beverage industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in Food Gels (2nd Edition))
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21 pages, 4120 KiB  
Article
Effect of Callus Cell Immobilization on the Textural and Rheological Properties, Loading, and Releasing of Grape Seed Extract from Pectin Hydrogels
by Elena Günter, Oxana Popeyko, Fedor Vityazev and Sergey Popov
Gels 2024, 10(4), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040273 - 17 Apr 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1472
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to prepare pectin hydrogels with immobilized Lemna minor callus cells and to identify the effect of cell immobilization on the textural, rheological, and swelling properties; loading; and releasing of grape seed extract (GSE) from the hydrogels. [...] Read more.
The purpose of the present study was to prepare pectin hydrogels with immobilized Lemna minor callus cells and to identify the effect of cell immobilization on the textural, rheological, and swelling properties; loading; and releasing of grape seed extract (GSE) from the hydrogels. Hardness, adhesiveness, elasticity, the strength of linkage, and complex viscosity decreased with increasing cell content in the hydrogels based on pectin with a degree of methyl esterification (DM) of 5.7% (TVC) and during incubation in gastrointestinal fluids. An increase in the rheological properties and fragility of pectin/callus hydrogels based on pectin with a DM of 33.0% (CP) was observed at a cell content of 0.4 g/mL. TVC-based pectin/callus beads increased their swelling in gastrointestinal fluids as cell content increased. TVC-based beads released GSE very slowly into simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, indicating controlled release. The GSE release rate in colonic fluid decreased with increasing cell content, which was associated with the accumulation of GSE in cells. CP-based beads released GSE completely in the intestinal fluid due to weak textural characteristics and rapid degradation within 10 min. Pectin/callus hydrogels have the ability to preserve GSE for a long time and may have great potential for the development of proanthocyanidin delivery systems due to their novel beneficial physicochemical and textural properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in Food Gels (2nd Edition))
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