Future of Food: Journal on Food

Innovative formulation of oleogels using bioactive compounds and sal starch and characterization of their products

Mahua Ghosh
University of Calcutta
Avery Sengupta

There is a focus on oleogels nowadays with low saturated fatty acids and zero trans fatty acids to substitute solid fats in various food formulations. The other advantage of using oleogels that it can retain the health benefits of the individual oils especially the micronutrients as the processing does not involve high temperature.  The present study used a blend of rice bran oil and sesame oil, both the oils are rich in micronutrients, together with starch obtained from sal meal and lecithin as gelling agent to produce oleogels. The novelty of the study includes the use of naturally derived starch moiety from sal meal as gelling agent which otherwise remains unutilized instead of commercially available starch. The gelator concentration was varied from 3-12% and the six oleogels produced were characterized for their suitability as solid fats. Microscopic characteristic, test for gelation, degree of hardness, XRD analysis and storage stability studies were carried out. Results showed that oleogels prepared with 8 and 10% gelator displayed the most desirable properties compared to other oleogels. The gels were kept for three months to study the physical stability also. The retention of micronutrient was also studied. Therefore it could be concluded that a novel oleogel can be formulated with two micronutrient rich edible oils and with gelling agents like sal starch and lecithin.

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Myanmar High School Students’ Perceptions of College and International Readiness in Western Society

Mark Speckien
Louisiana Tech University
Mark Speckien
Louisiana Tech University
International students are more likely to experience mental health issues and increased stress. Mental health is often surrounded by negative societal stigmas that act as barriers to seeking support and tend to lead to greater mental health concerns. International students tend to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers rather than seeking out counseling services. However, this study shows that LGBTQIA+ international students were less likely to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers due to fear of their sexual orientation being discovered and their families finding out about their identity. This study examines how LGBTQIA+ international students talk about their experiences on and off campus in relations to their socioemotional well-being. Specifically, this study sought to better understand the complexities of LGBTQIA+ students’ identities, and the challenges they faced in terms of their socioemotional well-being. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Keywords : international students, socioemotional well-being, mental health, identity development, intersectionality, LGBTQIA