Modification of granular waxy, normal and high-amylose maize starches by maltogenic α-amylase to improve functionality

Bean flour under pressure: Probing the techno-functionality through processing-structure-function analysis

High pressure processing (HPP) was employed to modify the structural make-up of starch and protein in bean flour to ultimately alter the techno-functionality of the flour. Aqueous bean flour dispersions (20 % solid content (w/w)) were processed at pressures ranging from 250 to 600 MPa for 3 min. The results indicated that HPP modified the morphology of starch granules with a decrease in relative crystallinity as a function of pressure. Pressure-induced changes in the secondary structure of bean flour protein were indicative of protein denaturation. The effect of HPP on bean flour techno-functionality was noted in the Rapid Visco-Analyzer test, where a significant decrease in the peak viscosity was observed for flour processed at 600 MPa. The water absorption index of HPP (600 MPa) flour was higher than the one recorded for all other pressure processed flours. Conversely, pressure processing did not alter the water solubility index of the flours.

Mechanism of maltogenic α-amylase modification on barley granular starches spanning the full range of amylose

Amylopectin (AP)-only (APBS), normal (NBS), and amylose (AM) only (AOBS) barley starches were selected here to investigate catalysis pattern of maltogenic α-amylase (MA) on hydrolyzing AP and AM granular starches. MA shortened starch side chains with degree of polymerization (DP) 11-30. MA-treated APBS exhibited porous granular structures and dramatically increased degree of branching (DB, 17-20 %), and reduced ordered degrees, suggesting high hydrolysis and transglycosylation activities of MA. MA-treated NBS showed less pronounced porous structures and slightly increased DB (2-4 %), indicating high hydrolysis but low transglycosylation activities. AOBS displayed minimal changes in DB (0.2-0.3 %) and starch structures, implying low hydrolysis and transglycosylation activities. Therefore, MA preferred to attack the AP molecules with abundant glucan substrates with DP 11-30, while AM restricted MA activity likely by creating ineffective binding sites and undergoing rapid reorganization. These findings deepened the understanding of the mechanisms of MA in modifying granular starches with varying AM content.

Structural, physicochemical and in vitro digestibility of white kidney bean protein-corn starch complexes under various heat treatments

The presence of exogenous protein can delay starch digestion. However, systematic studies on the effects of protein on starch digestion under various heat treatments still need to be completed. In this study, the effects of exogenous protein and heat treatments on corn starch digestibility were investigated. Molecular docking simulation was used to assess white kidney bean protein's (KBP) effect on α-amylase. Compared to corn starch, the resistant starch (RS) content in the physical mixture with KBP increased from 5.16% to 12.65%. Heat-moisture and annealing treatments further boosted RS to 19.74% and 18.74%. Dry heat increased digestibility, but KBP mitigated this. Heat treatments encouraged protein encapsulation of starch, forming complex aggregates. The introduction of KBP alleviated the effect of heat treatment on amylose content, improved the thermal stability of starch, protected starch granules from shear damage, and inhibited starch gelatinization and short-term retrogradation. These findings advance KBP's role in starch digestion and suggests its potential in low glycemic index foods.

Effect of Modification by β-Amylase and α-Glucosidase on the Structural and Physicochemical Properties of Maize Starch

Single enzymatic modifications are limited to starch. Complex modification with synergistic amylases will improve starch properties more significantly. In this study, maize starch was compound modified by β-amylase and α-glucosidase. The structure and physicochemical properties of the corn starch were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy (1HNMR), high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC-PAD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Rapid Visco analyzer (RVA) to determine the changes in the structure and physicochemical properties of maize starch before and after the dual enzyme modification. The branching degree (4.95-7.10%) of maize starch was increased after bi-enzymatic modification, the amylose content (28.77-18.60%) was decreased, and the amylopectin content (70.79-81.71%) was elevated. The relative crystallinity (20.41-30.20%) and short-range ordered structure of the starch increased, and the dual enzyme modification led to a more compact structure. Dual enzyme-modified maize starch showed a decrease in long chains, an increase in short chains, and its degree of branching was elevated. Dual enzyme modification also affected the thermal stability, pasting, light transmittance (1.40-2.16%), solubility (20.15-13.76%), and swelling (33.97-45.79%) of maize starch. It can be concluded that the complex modification of maize starch by β-amylase and α-glucosidase significantly changed the amylose/amylopectin ratio of the starch and made its structure denser. These results can provide a theoretical basis for the enzymatic preparation of maize starch with different amylose/amylopectin ratios and the development and utilization of functional starches.

Compensatory Modulation of Seed Storage Protein Synthesis and Alteration of Starch Accumulation by Selective Editing of 13 kDa Prolamin Genes by CRISPR-Cas9 in Rice

Rice prolamins are categorized into three groups by molecular size (10, 13, or 16 kDa), while the 13 kDa prolamins are assigned to four subgroups (Pro13a-I, Pro13a-II, Pro13b-I, and Pro13b-II) based on cysteine residue content. Since lowering prolamin content in rice is essential to minimize indigestion and allergy risks, we generated four knockout lines using CRISPR-Cas9, which selectively reduced the expression of a specific subgroup of the 13 kDa prolamins. These four mutant rice lines also showed the compensatory expression of glutelins and non-targeted prolamins and were accompanied by low grain weight, altered starch content, and atypically-shaped starch granules and protein bodies. Transcriptome analysis identified 746 differentially expressed genes associated with 13 kDa prolamins during development. Correlation analysis revealed negative associations between genes in Pro13a-I and those in Pro13a-II and Pro13b-I/II subgroups. Furthermore, alterations in the transcription levels of 9 ER stress and 17 transcription factor genes were also observed in mutant rice lines with suppressed expression of 13 kDa prolamin. Our results provide profound insight into the functional role of 13 kDa rice prolamins in the regulatory mechanisms underlying rice seed development, suggesting their promising potential application to improve nutritional and immunological value.

Enhancing the anti-thixotropic properties of waxy maize starch modified by different α-amylases and its underlying molecular mechanism

The large thixotropy of the starch-thickened foods is often unfavorable in many applications. This study examined the contribution of the proportion of amylopectin chain length to time-dependence of starch gels. The α-amylase (AM) from Bacillus stearothermophilus and maltogenic α-amylase (MA) from Bacillus subtilis were used to trim amylopectin in different reaction patterns. HPLC, HPAEC and IBC data suggested AM attacked B-chains (DP 12-36), causing an increment in number of the chains with DP 6-12, whereas MA primarily trimmed the short B-chains (DP 12-18) and partial A-chains (DP 9-12) to generate short chains with DP 6-9. Interestingly, the recovery of AM-gels was faster than MA-gels at the same degree of hydrolysis when subjected to shear according to the linear correlation analysis. When releasing the same mass of sugar, shortening of the long internal chains played an important role in reducing time dependence of starch gel rather than the external side chains. Possible models were proposed to illustrate the differences in the mechanism of rapid-recovery caused by different side-chain distributions. The outcome provided a new perspective to regulate the thixotropy behavior of starch through enzyme strategies in the granular state.

Understanding resistant-starch formation during drying high-amylose maize kernels

Interests in using high-amylose maize (HAM) flour and starch for low glycemic index foods continue to grow. The objective of this work was to understand resistant-starch formation during drying the HAM kernels. Freshly harvested HAM kernels with 28.2 % initial moisture were subjected to sun drying (~30 °C) or hot-air drying at 50 °C, 70 °C, 90 °C, or 110 °C. The enzymatic digestibility of HAM flour decreased from 63.6 % to 41.1 % as the drying temperature increased from 30 °C to 110 °C. The swelling power, solubility, and overall viscosity of HAM flours milled from kernels dried at 110 °C decreased, whereas the peak and conclusion gelatinization temperatures, enthalpy change, and relative crystallinity increased compared to those of flours from kernels dried at 30 °C, 50 °C, 70 °C, and 90 °C. Light microscopic and scanning electron microscopic images showed that starch granule aggregation in HAM flour increased with increasing drying-temperatures. The aggregates remained after 16 h enzymatic hydrolysis of cooked HAM flours. These results suggested that the increase of enzymatic resistance of HAM flour resulted from the formation of high temperature-resistant ordered structures in starch granules and the starch aggregates less accessible to enzymatic hydrolysis.

Comprehensive review on single and dual modification of starch: Methods, properties and applications

Starch is a natural, renewable, affordable, and easily available polymer used as gelling agents, thickeners, binders, and potential raw materials in various food products. Due to these techno-functional properties of starch, food and non-food industries are showing interest in developing starch-based food products such as films, hydrogels, starch nanoparticles, and many more. However, the application of native starch is limited due to its shortcomings. To overcome these problems, modification of starch is necessary. Various single and dual modification processes are used to improve techno-functional, morphological, and microstructural properties, film-forming capacity, and resistant starch. This review paper provides a comprehensive and critical understanding of physical, chemical, enzymatic, and dual modifications (combination of any two single modifications), the effects of parameters on modification, and their applications. The sequence of modification plays a key role in the dual modification process. All single modification methods modify the physicochemical properties, crystallinity, and emulsion properties, but some shortcomings such as lower thermal, acidic, and shear stability limit their application in industries. Dual modification has been introduced to overcome these limitations and maximize the effectiveness of single modification.

Enzymes Immobilized into Starch- and Gelatin-Based Hydrogels: Properties and Application in Inhibition Assay

The present work is a review of the research on using hydrogels based on natural biodegradable polymers, starch, and gelatin for enzyme immobilization. This review addresses the main properties of starch and gelatin that make them promising materials in biotechnology for producing enzyme preparations stable during use and storage and insensitive to chemical and physical impacts. The authors summarize their achievements in developing the preparations of enzymes immobilized in starch and gelatin gels and assess their activity, stability, and sensitivity for use as biorecognition elements of enzyme inhibition-based biosensors.

Maltogenic amylase: Its structure, molecular modification, and effects on starch and starch-based products

Maltogenic amylase (MAA) (EC3.2.1.133), a member of the glycoside hydrolase family 13 that mainly produces α-maltose, is widely used to extend the shelf life of bread as it softens bread, improves its elasticity, and preserves its flavor without affecting dough processing. Moreover, MAA is used as an improver in flour products. Despite its antiaging properties, the hydrolytic capacity and thermal stability of MAA can't meet the requirements of industrial application. However, genetic engineering techniques used for the molecular modification of MAA can alter its functional properties to meet application-specific requirements. This review briefly introduces the structure and functions of MAA, its application in starch modification, its effects on starch-based products, and its molecular modification to provide better insights for the application of genetically modified MAA in starch modification.

Effects of maltogenic α-amylase on physicochemical properties and edible quality of rice cake

Maltogenic α-amylase (MA) are commercially used in the baking industry to retard starch retrogradation. However, whether MA can be used to modify rice flour during the fermentation process to improve the quality of rice flour remains unclear. In this study, MA was introduced during rice cake (RC) processing, and the modification effect and underlying mechanism were explored. Mn showed a decreasing trend except for 4.0 × 10-3 U/g sample. Chain length distribution data showed that MA effectively hydrolyzed long chains in amylopectin and increased the concentration of amylopectin chain length with a degree of polymerization of ≤ 9. High-performance liquid chromatography results suggested that the maltose content increased to 3.14% at an MA concentration of 9.5 × 10-3 U/g, which affected the fermentation effect of MA-treated RC. MA effectively reduced the viscosity of RC, and the gelatinization enthalpy of RC changed to 0.835 mJ/mg. MA also reduced the hardness and chewiness of RC after storage for 7 d. Moreover, rapidly digestible starch and slowly digestible starch contents of MA-treated RC decreased and increased, respectively, and resistant starch contents were remained unchanged. These results indicate that MA exerts a significant and effective antiretrogradation effect on RC. Combining the above results with sensory evaluation findings, an MA concentration of 4.0 × 10-3 U/g was the best supplemental concentration for obtaining RC with better edible quality. These findings suggest that MA treatment to rice flour during the fermentation process not only preserved the edible quality of RC but also retarded its retrogradation, thus, providing a novel processing method for the industrial production of RC.

Regulation of multi-scale structures and retrogradation property of A- and B-type wheat starch granules with maltogenic α-amylase

Maltogenic α-amylase (MA) is widely used to modify starch for improving properties. In this work, A- and B-type starches were separated from wheat completely and submitted to MA hydrolysis. Firstly, research in morphological features (SEM) suggested that MA treatment did not destroy the granule integrity. Next, crystalline features from XRD and SAXS assay showed that MA treatment did not change the crystal form, but deceased crystalline sheet (dc) and amorphous sheet (da) thickness in both modified starches. And amorphous sheet was more severely destroyed at higher MA dosage than crystalline sheet. Then changes in molecule structure (HPAEC) showed that MA mainly acted on sides chains with degree of polymerization 12-24 in amylopectin for both starches, resulting in a reduce in peak, trough, and final viscosity obtained from RVA assay. At last, RVA and DSC assay showed that the short-term and long-term retrogradation were retarded in both modified starches. This range of techniques covered changes in multi-scale structures and retrogradation property resulted from MA treatment on both starches, which provided references for studying the changes in structures and properties of MA modified starch granules and provided an important method for retarding retrogradation of starchy foods without gelatinization processing.

Solid state malic acid esterification on fungal α-amylase treated corn starch: Design of a green dual treatment

For the first time, the current work applied fungal α-amylase treated corn starch in granular form to produce solid state malate-esterified starch (MES). The pores and channels created on the granules after the enzymatic modification could provide more possibilities for malic acid to esterify the starch, resulting in the increase of substitution degree (0.084) and reaction efficiency (86.6%) compared to NS. Based on the obtained results, the dual treatment significantly increased solubility, amylose content, and syneresis, but reduced transparency, viscosity, digestibility rate, and swelling power compared to those of NS. The occurrence of esterification onto starch chains was confirmed by FT-IR at 1720 cm^-1. Other techniques including SEM, XRD, and DSC were employed to examine changes in the structure of starch granules after applying each treatment. Also, the greenness of the combined modification (score: 77) was proved by using a new methodology named Eco-Scale.

Indole acetylated high-amylose maize starch: Synthesis, characterization and application for amelioration of colitis

Tryptophan metabolites such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) are critical for gut health, through their binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and may be useful for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Delivery of IAA to the colon is necessary, and one strategy is use of esterified starches which get digested in the colon by gut microbes. High amylose maize starch (HAMS) resists digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract and is fermented by gut microbiota to release short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are also beneficial to intestinal homeostasis. IAA esterified to HAMS (HAMSIAA) was synthesized with different degrees of substitution (DSs) by controlling the ratio of IAA vs HAMS. Successful incorporation of indole acetyl group was verified by NMR and FTIR spectra. XRD revealed that the crystalline type of HAMSIAA changed from B to V-type. SEM showed the destroyed surface of the starch granules. HAMSIAA with DS ~ 0.3 effectively increased IAA in the colon, to levels unachievable by oral IAA delivery. HAMSIAA increased pathways downstream of AhR activation, including CYP1A1 mRNA expression and IL-22 protein levels, and greatly improved DSS-induced colitis. HAMSIAA could serve as an ideal means for colon-targeted delivery of IAA and a promising nutraceutical for amelioration of inflammatory conditions.

Unlocking the Potential of High-Amylose Starch for Gut Health: Not All Function the Same

High-amylose starch has unique functional properties and nutritional values in food applications. This type of starch is generally resistant to enzymatic digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, and contains an increased fraction of resistant starch (RS), which is a type of dietary fiber. The digestion and fermentation of high-amylose starch in the gut are of current research interest, as the processes are related to its nutritional functionality. This review summarizes recent in vitro and in vivo studies on the digestion and fermentation of high-amylose starches from different botanical sources and those that have been obtained by modifications. The RS content and fermentation properties are compared among high-amylose starches. This review aims to provide a current understanding of the relationship between high-amylose starch structures and fermentation-related nutritional properties. The results of these studies suggest that both modifications and food processing of high-amylose starch result in distinct fermentation products and nutritional properties. The review provides insight into the potential future applications of diverse high-amylose starches as bioactive compounds to modulate colonic fermentation.

High-amylose maize starch: Structure, properties, modifications and industrial applications

High-amylose maize refers to a special type of maize cultivar with a 50 %-90 % amylose content of the total starch. High-amylose maize starch (HAMS) is of interest because it possesses unique functionalities and provides many health benefits for humans. Therefore, many high-amylose maize varieties have been developed via mutation or transgenic breeding approaches. From the literature reviewed, the fine structure of HAMS is different from the waxy and normal corn starches, influencing its gelatinization, retrogradation, solubility, swelling power, freeze-thaw stability, transparency, pasting and rheological properties, and even in vitro digestion. HAMS has undergone physical, chemical, and enzymatical modifications to enhance its characteristics and thereby broaden its possible uses. HAMS has also been used for the benefit of increasing resistant starch levels in food products. This review summarizes the recent developments in our understanding of the extraction and chemical composition, structure, physicochemical properties, digestibility, modifications, and industrial applications of HAMS.