Phoon, P. Y., & Tan, Z. L. A. (2025). Synergy between curdlan and nanofibres of cellulose and chitin and its impact on the mechanical strength of oil-rich composite structures. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 319, 144474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144474
Abstract:
With alternative meats trending, research on edible oil structuring for mimicking animal
fat texture is gaining traction. However, many reported cases lack universal appeal,
for they are structured by proteins and/ or oleo-gelators based on steroidal or saturated
fat, which may carry allergenic or cardiometabolic risks. Here, we report our discovery
of synergy between curdlan (CG) and chitin (Chtn)/ cellulose (Shcel) nanofibers (NF)
from small-to-large amplitude oscillatory shear experiments, and its applicative
potential in fibre-based oil-rich composites as strong animal fat replacers. Some key
findings are: (i) At optimised mass ratios, heat-set CG-Chtn (5:5) showed highly elastic
character, while heat-set CG-ShCel (7:3) exhibited a more viscous but strain stiffening
behaviour. (ii) CG-NF synergy led to derivative composites with high shear elastic
modulus (G’1) of ≥20 kPa (at ≤1% strain), similar in the order of magnitude for springy
cooked pork subcutaneous fat. (iii) To improve the compressive strength in the
composites, the CG-NF binary phase could form an irregular mesh framework of
extruded 1 mm-strands. (iv) By manoeuvring the viscosity and pliancy of the CG-ShCel
binary phase, the compressive strength could be enhanced further. Put together, these
findings offer reference value for formulating strong animal fat mimetics, toward more
sustainable eating.
License type:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research - A*STAR Career Development Fund
Grant Reference no. : C210812056