Engineering of bioaerogels as key ingredients in the development of functional foods to deliver health through diet

Aerogels are solid nanostructured materials characterized by low density, high porosity and a high internal surface area. When obtained from biopolymers (polysaccharides and/or proteins), they are called bioaerogels. Bioaerogels are typically obtained by a multi-step process, involving the gelation of a biopolymer water solution followed by water-to-ethanol solvent exchange and subsequent ethanol removal by supercritical-CO2-drying [1]. Bioaerogels have gained increasing research attention as innovative food ingredients, thanks to their biocompatibility and food-grade nature, associated with unique porosity-driven functionalities. In particular, whey protein-based bioaerogel particles have been used to structure liquid oil into semi-solid materials (i.e., oleogels) presenting rheological properties analogous to those of traditional saturated fats, associated with an improved nutritional profile, rich in unsaturated fatty acids [2]. In the current context of the plant protein transition, food industries and consumers are increasingly seeking for plant-based alternatives to animal proteins, in view of the lower environmental impact and health benefits. The development of bioaerogels based on plant proteins rather than animal ones is thus particularly interesting. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated that oil structuring can alter lipid digestibility, but no knowledge is available on the digestibility of aerogel-templated oleogels.