The physical properties of oleogels can be manipulated, inter alia, by the type of oil used. Although the influence of solvent composition has been recognized, the detailed mechanisms contributing to the changes in e.g. gel hardness have not yet been unraveled in detail. It was shown previously that a variation of the fatty acid composition as well as the presence of polar molecules (PM) alternate the appearance of the elements of scaffolding (tubule) of β-sitosterol/γ-oryzanol oleogels. These PM may be of natural origin or formed during oil deterioration. AFM revealed that the spatial arrangement of tubules differed in the absence or presence of PM. It is thus believed that PM concentrate at the surface of primary building blocks and modify the nature of their interaction. To further address this question the elimination of polar oil components from vegetable oils is inevitable. This was realized by subjecting canola, sunflower and flaxseed oil to a column chromatography procedure. In a second step selected PM were added to the oils at 3 different concentrations (1; 2,5 and 5 wt%) and their impact on oleogel hardness, microstructure and thermal behavior was investigated. Depending on the type of additive different effects on gel hardness, gel-sol transition temperature and enthalpy were observed. The results were put into context with common oil quality parameters such as POV, water content and fatty acid composition. The results obtained in this study will provide additional insights on the role of minor components on oleogel properties.
