Chapter 9: Organogels

The majority of nutraceutical compounds have very limited solubility in aqueous solvents. So it is necessary to design systems in order to encapsulate lipophilic nutraceutical compounds. Organogels offer a great potential for the encapsulation of such compounds. Organogels are also able to deliver nutraceuticals to food systems or directly to the human gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, organogel systems protect the encapsulated compounds from oxidation and degradation so that these compounds could maintain their nutritional values. Incorporation of liquid oil containing organogels into food matrices is a practical method to replace the saturated fat content of many food products. Additionally, design of physiologically responsive organogels for the controlled release of nutraceuticals in the human gastrointestinal system is also gaining interest. Another focus in the field is to increase the number of safe and food grade gelators for the production of new and functional organogels. Minimizing the negative effects of organogel production processes is also an important point of interest. This chapter refers to the molecular-physicochemical properties and formation methods of organogels. The applicable range and the positive and negative aspects of various organogel systems have also been presented.