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. 2025 Apr 22;9(1):54.
doi: 10.1038/s41538-025-00418-7.

Effects of RBX oleogel and heat-moisture-treated rice flour in food matrices on digestibility and microbiota

Tidarat Norsuwan  1 , Thanutchaporn Kumrungsee  2   3 , Noriyuki Yanaka  4 , Tomoka Nagao  4 , Masubon Thongngam  5
Affiliations

Effects of RBX oleogel and heat-moisture-treated rice flour in food matrices on digestibility and microbiota

Tidarat Norsuwan et al. NPJ Sci Food. .

Abstract

Recently, oleogel and heat-moisture-treated (HMT) modified starch have gained much attention as a potential margarine replacement and a low-digestible starch, respectively. To date, most studies have investigated oleogel and HMT starch as individual components, while information regarding their physiological properties as a food matrix form is scarce. Here, we demonstrated that the HMT starch-oleogel food matrix exhibited the lowest plasma lipid and glucose levels, but high lipid and fecal excretion in mice, indicating that the food matrix possibly lowered lipid and carbohydrate digestibility. The resistant starch (RS) content was markedly decreased in the food matrix, suggesting other factors, such as lipid barriers and gel viscosity, in lowering the food-matrix digestibility. Roseburia, Adlercreutzia, and rc4-4 were enriched, while Bifidobacterium and Clostridium were reduced in the food matrix group. The present study provides insights into the in vivo physiological properties and the health benefits of oleogel and HMT starch in food matrix forms.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Effects of individual components and food matrices on fecal excretion, lipid profile, and blood glucose.
A Dried fecal weight; B plasma FFA; C plasma TAG; D fecal TAG; E liver TAG; and F blood glucose. The results are expressed as the means ± SD (n = 7–8 mice/group). Different letters above the bars indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05). Numbers above the bars indicate P values analyzed using a two-tailed unpaired t-test with P < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. B beef tallow, O oleogel, HMTF heat–moisture-treated flour, HMTG HMTF gel, HMTGO HMT starch-oleogel food matrix, NGO native starch-oleogel food matrix.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Effects of individual components and food matrices on plasma cholesterol profile and a correlation between plasma lactate dehydrogenase and blood glucose.
A Plasma TC; B plasma HDLC; C plasma LDLC; D HDLC/LDLC ratio, and E Pearson’s correlation between plasma LDH and blood glucose. The results are expressed as the means ± SD (n = 7–8 mice/group). Different letters above the bars indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05). B beef tallow, O oleogel, HMTF heat-–moisture-treated flour, HMTG HMTF gel, HMTGO HMT starch-oleogel food matrix, NGO native starch-oleogel food matrix, TC total cholesterol, HDLC high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDLC low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDH lactate dehydrogenase.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Effects of the HMTGO and its control individual components and uncooked groups on gut microbiota composition.
A Principal component analysis (PCA) of the ASV—level Bray–Curtis distance and alpha diversity analysis; B Chao1 index; C Shannon index, and D Simpson index. Data are presented as a boxplot with median and min–max whiskers (n = 4). Different letters above the bars indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05). B beef tallow, O oleogel, HMTF heat–moisture-treated flour, HMTGO HMT starch-oleogel food matrix, NGO native starch-oleogel food matrix.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Effects of the HMTGO and its control individual components and uncooked groups on gut microbiota composition.
At phylum (A) and family (F) levels. B Actinobacteria phylum; C Firmicutes phylum; D Bacteroidetes phylum; and E Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Data are presented as a boxplot with median and min–max whiskers (n = 4). Different letters above the bars indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05). B beef tallow, O oleogel, HMTF heat–moisture-treated flour, HMTGO HMT starch-oleogel food matrix, NGO native starch-oleogel food matrix.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. Effects of the HMTGO and its control individual components and uncooked groups on gut microbiota composition at genus levels.
Gut microbiota composition at genus levels (A). B–G Significantly changed genera among the treatments: B Bifidobacterium; C Clostridium; D Roseburia; E Adlercreutzia; F rc4-4; G Coprococcus; and H Lactobaciullus. Data are presented as a boxplot with median and min–max whiskers (n = 4). Different letters above the bars indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05). B beef tallow, O oleogel, HMTF heat–moisture-treated flour, HMTGO HMT starch-oleogel food matrix, NGO native starch-oleogel food matrix.
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