Abstract: This study used sardine oil as the oil phase and beeswax as the gelling agent to establish the spatiotemporal relationship between the structural characteristics of the sol-gel system and its oxidative stability. A comprehensive investigation was conducted into changes in crystal morphology and distribution, textural characteristics, rheological behavior, oil retention capacity, and oxidative stability during the phase transition. The results showed that the formation of beeswax-based fish oil oleogel involved three stages: melting, recrystallization, and gelation. During melting, no gel structure formed. During recrystallization and gelation, beeswax initially formed needle-like crystal chains, which subsequently cross-linked and aggregated into a dense crystalline network, enhancing the stability, viscoelastic properties and apparent viscosity of the gel system. The hardness and gel strength of the beeswax-based fish oil oleogel increased significantly, and the oil-binding capacity reached 100%. Throughout the three stages, peroxide value (POV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), p-anisidine value (p-AV), and acid value (AV) decreased significantly, indicating a notable improvement in oxidative stability. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing and applying high-quality and stable fish oil oleogels.

Key words: phase transition process; beeswax; fish oil oleogel; gel properties; oxidation stability