Research progress of water-in-oil emulsion gelated with internal aqueous phase: gel factors, gel mechanism, application fields, and future direction of development

Abstract

The W/O emulsion is a promising system. Its special structure can keep the sensory properties of fat while reducing the fat content. Improving the stability and physical properties of W/O emulsions is generally oriented toward outer oil-phase modified oil gels and inner water-phase modified inner hydrogels. In this paper, the research progress of internal aqueous gel was reviewed, and some gel factors suitable for internal aqueous gel and the gel mechanism of main gel factors were discussed. The advantages of this internal aqueous gel emulsion system allow its use in the field of fat substitutes and encapsulating substances. Finally, some shortcomings and possible research directions in the future were proposed, which would provide a theoretical basis for the further development of internal water-phase gelled W/O emulsion in the future.

Keywords:

• Encapsulation of active substances
• fat substitute
• gel factors
• gel mechanism
• internal hydrophase gel

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (32072138).