Abstract: Zein fibers (ZF) were prepared using an acetic acid aqueous solution (50%, V/V). Subsequently, composite aerogels consisting of ZF and carboxymethylcellulose-Na (CMC) were fabricated via the anti-solvent method and used as templates for oleogel preparation. The effects of pH and mass ratio of ZF to CMC in the aerogel precursor solution (at a fixed total concentration of 0.02 g/mL) on the density, porosity, microstructure, oil absorption capacity, and oil holding capacity of aerogels were investigated. The results indicated that complete fibrillation of ZF at 0.2 g/mL occurred after 6 h of incubation in an acetic acid aqueous solution at room temperature. The aerogel prepared at pH 3.5 with a ZF/CMC mass ratio of 1:1 displayed the highest oil absorption and oil-holding capacity. This aerogel could form self-supporting oleogels with high viscosity and good structural recovery capability when blended with soybean oil at mass ratios of 1:15, 1:20, and 1:25. Among them, the oleogel prepared at a mass ratio of 1:15 achieved an oil-binding capacity of 98.97%. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) analysis revealed that the oil phase in the oleogel was uniformly entrapped within the three-dimensional (3D) network skeleton of the aerogel. This study demonstrates that the combination of fibrous zein and CMC can successfully enable the fabrication of aerogel materials featuring dense cross-linked networks and superior lipophilicity, thereby providing new insights for preparing oleogels and in-depth exploring the application potential of zein in food processing.

Key words: zein; protein fiber; carboxymethylcellulose-Na; aerogel template; oleogel