Physicochemical properties and antioxidative stability of curcumin-loaded oleogel made with ethyl cellulose enhanced by soy lecithin.

Curcumin-loaded liposome-ethyl cellulose (CLE) complexes are developed to overcome curcumin degradation and weak gel networks in PUFA-rich oleogels. Curcumin liposomes, prepared with soy lecithin and cholesterol, are combined with ethyl cellulose (EC), and the optimal CLE formulation (13 wt% lecithin/EC, 40% ethanol) is selected by encapsulation efficiency and stability. When incorporated into linseed oil, CLE enhances oil binding (91.88%) and hardness (352.47 g) vs EC-only oleogels, indicating reinforced network. CLE oleogels exhibit lower peroxide value (PV) and p-anisidine value (p-AV) than those containing free curcumin, reflecting reduced primary hydroperoxides and secondary aldehydes, along with higher ABTS radical scavenging, confirming improved antioxidant retention during processing and storage. FTIR and molecular dynamics reveal that van der Waals and electrostatic interactions, especially EC-glycerol trilinolenate (-26.46 kcal/mol) and glycerol trilinolenate-lecithin (-26.27 kcal/mol), govern complex stability. These results support CLE as a viable trans-fat-free oleogel system for delivering natural antioxidants in oxidatively sensitive lipid matrices.