Structural and rheological properties of oleogels consisting of 0.5–25 wt% rice bran wax (RBX) in rice bran oil (RBO) were explored. RBX was an efficient, thermoreversible oleogelator capable of structuring RBO at concentrations as low as 0.5 wt% RBX. A qualitative temperature-composition phase diagram showed that oleogels containing higher concentrations of RBX were expectedly the most resistant to melting. In oleogels at higher RBX concentrations, polarized light microscopy revealed the presence of a network of interlinked, long aspect ratio wax crystal needles up to 50 μm long. Upon heating, RBX crystals did not undergo any structural transition, based on the constant short spacings at ~ 4.16 and ~ 3.73 Å, indicative of an orthorhombic subcell, and d₀₀₁ long spacing at 74–76 Å that persisted until RBX fusion. This long spacing was ascribed to the presence of wax esters consisting of long-chain saturated fatty acids (C24 and C22) esterified to C28 – C34 saturated fatty alcohols. During cooling from 90 to 20 °C, the increase in oleogel viscosity resulting from the RBX liquid-solid phase transition was corroborated by DSC-based crystallization onset and enthalpy data. Similarly, elastic moduli and hardness both rose with increasing RBX concentration. This study, which demonstrated that RBX can structure RBO with distinct concentration-dependent properties, serves as the foundation for the development of oleogel-based approaches to saturated and trans fats replacement in processed foods.

探索了由米糠油（RBO）中的0.5–25 wt％的米糠蜡（RBX）组成的油分子的结构和流变特性。RBX是一种高效，热可逆的油凝胶剂，能够以低至0.5 wt％RBX的浓度结构化RBO。定性的温度-组成相图表明，含有较高浓度RBX的油蛋白预计具有最强的抗熔化性。在较高RBX浓度的油分子中，偏光显微镜显示存在一个互连的，长宽比长至50μm的长长宽比蜡晶体针的网络。加热后，RBX晶体未发生任何结构转变，这是基于〜4.16和〜3.73Å处的恒定短间距表示的，是正交晶系的子晶胞，d ₀₀₁在74–76Å处保持较长的间距，直到RBX融合为止。这种长距离是由于存在蜡酯，该蜡酯由长链饱和脂肪酸（C24和C22）酯化为C28-C34饱和脂肪醇组成。在从90到20°C的冷却过程中，基于DSC的结晶开始和焓数据证实了由RBX液相-固相​​转变导致的油凝胶粘度增加。同样，弹性模量和硬度都随RBX浓度的增加而增加。这项研究表明RBX可以构建具有独特的浓度依赖性的RBO，为开发基于油凝胶的方法来代替加工食品中的饱和脂肪和反式脂肪提供了基础。