Preparation and Evaluation of Oleogels Incorporated with Moringa oleifera Leaves Extract in Biscuits Production

This study investigated the physicochemical, antioxidant and sensory properties of sunflower oil-beeswax oleogels different concentrations (SFOBW3, SFOBW5 and SFOBW7), with and without the addition of Moringa oleifera leaves phenolic extract (MOLE), in the context of biscuit production. It was found that increasing concentrations of beeswax expedited gelation time, enhanced oil binding capacity (OBC) (8.25 min for SFOBW7) and contributed to a firmer texture and higher melting points (52.48 ˚C for SFOBW7), indicating a stronger oleogel network. Moreover, the addition of beeswax resulted in lighter (L*) oleogels with improved color attributes (55.95 for SFOBW7) and stability upon centrifugation. The inclusion of MOLE did not significantly alter the gelation time or OBC but increased the total phenolic content (TPC) (from 14.07 mg/100g for SFOBW5 to 40.26 mg/100g for SFOBW5+0.45g MOLE) and antioxidant activity (DPPH) (from 38.25% for SFOBW5 to 60.98% for SFOBW5+0.45g MOLE). Sensory evaluation revealed that oleogels with 5% beeswax exhibited the best balance of appearance, spreadability and overall acceptability. Furthermore, biscuits prepared from oleogels with a combination of 50% oleogel, both with and without MOLE, showed enhanced sensory attributes compared to those prepared with 100% oleogels alone. The study underscored the potential of using sunflower oil-beeswax oleogels, enriched with MOLE, to produce biscuits with desirable nutritional and sensory qualities.