Insight into the formation mechanism of lotus seed starch-lecithin complexes by dynamic high-pressure homogenization

Formation and structural dynamics of Lotus seed starch-linolenic acid complexes under high pressure microfluidization and their evolution during simulated gastrointestinal digestion

Linolenic acid (ALA) can promote the production of intestinal short-chain fatty acids and the growth of beneficial bacteria. However, its polyunsaturated nature makes it prone to oxidation. To address this, lotus seed starch (LS) was used as a carrier to form LS-ALA complexes via dynamic high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) at 180 MPa. The resulting complex exhibited high crystallinity and thermal stability, with 14.84 ± 0.16 % ALA content. This complexation reduced starch's short-range order and increased its solubility at room temperature, with 17.42 ± 0.49 % being resistant starch. Importantly, during in vitro digestion, the complex's crystal form remained unchanged, the ALA content in the remaining complex increased, and the carboxyl peak of the fatty acid was more obvious after digestion, indicating that ALA was protected during this process. These findings reveal the interaction mechanisms between ALA and starch, establish a basis for efficient LS-ALA complex preparation, and support further interaction studies.

Effects of ionic liquids with different alkyl chain lengths and heat treatment on the physicochemical properties of high amylose maize starch and its resultant inclusion complex

This study investigated the effects of ionic liquid (ILi) with different cationic alkyl chain lengths (ACLen) on the dissolution behaviour of high-amylose maize starch (HAMStarch) and V-type complex formation under heat treatment. Results showed that the destruction degree of HAMStarch in a water/ILi solution increased with increasing temperature. At 70 °C, the polarisation cross of HAMStarch completely disappeared and the short-range molecular order was significantly decreased. The formation of a V-type complex with lauric acid (LAc) enhanced the short-range molecular order of HAMStarch. Rheological measurements showed that the viscosity of the water/ILi solution decreased with increasing system temperature and increased with increasing cationic ACLen. However, the relative crystallinity (RC) of HAMStarch gradually decreased with increasing treatment temperature and ILi cationic ACLen. At 50 °C and 70 °C, when the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain was increased from 2 to 4, the diffraction peaks of the involved samples became stronger and sharper and the total melting enthalpy (ΔH) values gradually increased. The maximum RC (29.17 %) and ΔH (5.86 J/g) values of the HAMStarch-LAc complex were obtained when HAMStarch was pretreated by 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride at 70 °C.

Starch-lipid complexes and their application: A review

The starch-lipid complexes have recently attracted extensive interest due to their excellent properties, such as the decrease of digestibility and the inhibition of starch gelatinization and retrogradation. The review discussed the formation, structure, functionalities and preparation methods of starch-lipid complexes, and most importantly, their application. The starch-lipid complex is classified as a new type of resistant starch-RS5, which can reduce postprandial blood glucose response and regulate human gut health. Over the past few years, starch-lipid complexes have been increasingly reported for applications in food additives, fat substitutes and carriers of nutrients and medicine, regulation of intestinal flora and production of food packaging films. A comprehensive review of applications of starch-lipid complexes is of great importance for understanding and expanding the application of complexes. But the regulatory mechanism of starch-lipid complexes on food quality, food packaging films and intestinal flora is still unclear, which deserves further study in the future. Targeted medicine delivery using starch-lipid complexes may be also a promising and challenging direction in the future.

Efficient preparation of starch-lipid complexes: A review

Given their diverse techno-functional traits and huge potential in shaping better food textural, nutritional, and flavor attributes, starch-lipid complexes have attracted much effort in the last two decades. The essential aspects concerning the synthesis of starch-lipid complexes were systematically reviewed to establish high-efficiency methods. First, a new 5-level classification system was proposed for the methods applied in literature, which finally assigned them into seventeen groups. Second, the complexation was examined from the perspectvies of substrate traits and operating parameters. As per starch, amylose content, the degree of polymerization, botanical source, crystal form, and short-range order were explored. As per lipid, concentration, alkyl chain length, the degree of unsaturation, the configuration of the double bond, the form of carboxyl group, and the degree and type of esterification were considered. The operating parameters included the compounding temperature, compounding time, pH conditions, starch moisture content, and the addition mode of lipids involved in the preparation of starch-lipid complexes. Third, the strategies for better complexation by starch modification (enzymatic, physical, and chemical), process reinforcement (ultrasound, pullulanase, NaCl, lecithin, and high pressure), and post-synthetic processing were presented. Finally, the challenges and opportunities were proposed. This review provides insights for the comprehensive understanding to the efficient preparation of starch-lipid complexes.

Impact of Ultrasonic-Assisted Preparation of Water Caltrop Starch-Lipid Complex: Structural and Physicochemical Properties

This study investigates the effect of ultrasonic-assisted preparation on the structural and physicochemical properties of water caltrop starch-palmitic acid complexes as a function of ultrasound intensity and treatment time. All samples exhibited the characteristic birefringence of starch-lipid complexes under the polarized microscope, and flake-like and irregular structure under scanning electron microscope (SEM), indicating the formation of complexes through ultrasonic-assisted preparation. X-ray diffraction pattern further confirmed the transition from the original A-type structure for native starch to V-type structure for starch-lipid complexes, and the relative crystallinity of starch-lipid complexes increased as the ultrasound intensity and treatment time increased. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis indicated a decreasing trend in absorbance ratio at wavenumber of 1022 cm-1/995 cm-1, suggesting that the increase in the complex promoted the self-assembly within the short-range ordered structure, leading to the formation of bonds between the complexes. However, rapid-visco analysis (RVA) demonstrated that the viscosity generally decreased as the ultrasound intensity and treatment time increased, possibly due to the reduction in molecular weight by ultrasound. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analysis revealed that the control starch-lipid complex without ultrasound treatment (US-0-0) exhibited two distinct endothermic peaks above 90 °C, representing Type I (95-105 °C) and Type II (110-120 °C) V-type complexes. However, ultrasound-treated samples showed only one peak around 95-105 °C and increased enthalpy (∆H), which was likely due to the breakdown of amylose and amylopectin, leading to more complex formation with palmitic acid, while the resulting shorter chains in the ultrasound-modified sample favor the formation of Type I complexes.

Hydrophobic interaction-induced self-assembly of V-type lotus starch with butyric acid into stable structures: Regulation by butyric acid concentration

V-amylose is a modified helical structure capable of interacting with butyric acid (BA), which typically shows limited affinity for native amylose. The encapsulation of BA within V-amylose enhances its enzymatic resistance while facilitating the delivery of BA to the gut, where it can exert beneficial health effects. Consequently, enhancing the incorporation of BA into starch-based food is a crucial strategy for achieving these objectives. The concentration of guest BA plays a critical role in the hydrophobic interaction-induced complexation with V-amylose, and understanding the structural changes involved in this process is essential for the design of optimal products. In this study, V-amylose derived from high-amylose lotus starch was utilized to form complexes with BA. The structure and in vitro digestibility of the complexes formed at varying BA concentrations were investigated. The results demonstrate that higher BA concentrations weakened the hydrophobic interactions in the V-amylose system. Nevertheless, the highest complex index (i.e., 11.7 g/100 g) of V-amylose was attained at a 50 % BA concentration, indicating a balance between BA-regulated hydrophobic aggregation and the density of BA during complexation. These V-amylose complexes produced with elevated BA content exhibited high crystallinity and molecular order, along with enhanced thermal stability and resistance to enzymolysis. These findings support the feasibility of loading BA into V-amylose and provide valuable insights into the hydrophobic complexation regulated by BA concentration.

Differences in cooking taste and physicochemical properties between compound nutritional rice and common rice

In this study, it was compared the physicochemical properties and cooking taste quality between four different types of compound nutritional rice (rice flour with the addition of other coarse grains, legumes, potatoes, and other powders, extruded as artificial rice grains) and common rice. We found that the protein and apparent amylose contents of compound nutritional rice were higher than that of common rice, up to 9.775% and 19.45% respectively. The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and resistant starch contents were much lower than in common rice, and the dietary fiber content did not differ from that in common rice. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the starch properties and structure of the compound nutritional rice changed due to high temperature and high pressure processing. In particular, the crystalline structures of starch became V-shaped. In addition, the results of artificial tasting and tasting meter showed that the taste of compound nutritional rice was generally inferior to that of common rice. In summary, compound nutritional rice had problems such as nutritional imbalance and poor taste. There was still a lot of room for improving the taste quality of compound nutritional rice. Therefore, the future development of compound nutritional rice should focus on both nutritional balance and taste improvement. The results of this paper also provided a certain theoretical basis for this.

Synergistic impact of ultrasound-high pressure homogenization on the formation, structural properties, and slow digestion of the starch-phenolic acid complex

The modification of starch digestibility can be achieved through the formation of complexes with polyphenols. We studied the combined impacts of ultrasound and high-pressure homogenization (UT-HPH) on the structure and in vitro digestibility of rice starch-chlorogenic acid complexes. The development of V-type complexes was supported by our findings, which also showed that synergistic UT-HPH therapy exhibited the highest absorbance value for the complexing index (0.882). Significant alterations in digestibility were also observed in the complexes, with the content of RDS decreasing from 49.27% to 27.06%, the content of slowly SDS increasing from 25.69% to 35.35%, and the percentage of RS increasing from 25.05% to 37.59%. Furthermore, a high positive correlation was found by applying the Pearson correlation coefficient in our research between RS, weight, PSD, and CI. This study presents a sustainable processing approach for utilizing chlorogenic acid in starch-rich food systems.

Effect of dynamic high-pressure treatments on the multi-level structure of starch macromolecule and their techno-functional properties: A review

Over the past decades, dynamic high-pressure treatment (DHPT) executed by high-pressure homogenization (HPH) or microfluidization (DHPM) technology has received humongous research attention for starch macromolecule modification. However, the studies on starch multi-level structure alterations by DHPT have received inadequate attention. Furthermore, no review comprehensively covers all aspects of DHPT, explicitly addressing the combined effects of both technologies (HPH or DHPM) on starch's structural and functional characteristics. Hence, this review focused on recent advancements concerning the influences of DHPT on the starch multi-level structure and techno-functional properties. Intense mechanical actions induced by DHPT, such as high shear and impact forces, hydrodynamic cavitation, instantaneous pressure drops, and turbulence, altered the multi-level structure of starch for a short duration. The DHPT reduces the starch molecular weight and degree of branching, destroys short-range ordered and long-range crystalline structure, and degrades lamellar structure, resulting in partial gelatinization of starch granules. These structural changes influenced their techno-functional properties like swelling power and solubility, freeze-thaw stability, emulsifying properties, retrogradation rate, thermal properties, rheological and pasting, and digestibility. Processing conditions such as pressure level, the number of passes, inlet temperature, chamber geometry used, starch types, and their concentration may influence the above changes. Moreover, dynamic high-pressure treatment could form starch-fatty acids/polyphenol complexes. Finally, we discuss the food system applications of DHPT-treated starches and flours, and some limitations.

Insight into the dynamic molecular mechanism underlying the endogenous polyphenols inhibiting the in vitro starch digestion of highland barley noodles

Highland barley is a type of grain with slow-digesting characteristics. It is worth exploring the impact of non-starch components on starch digestion. In this study, four varieties of highland barley were used to investigate the impacts of endogenous polyphenols (EP) on the relationship between starch structure, physicochemical properties, and the time course digestibility of highland barley noodles. The results showed that EP removal decreased the proportion of long-chain amylopectin and disrupted the crystalline structure, while increasing the short-range ordered structure in the residue. Significant correlations indicated that these structural changes make starch more susceptible to thermal degradation and digestion, causing a 12.60%-52.00% increase in rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and a 12.70%-25.22% decrease in resistant starch (RS). These results revealed the internal factors that affect the slow digestion characteristics of highland barley noodles from the perspective of EP and provide important reference values for a slow digestion diet.

Synergistic effect of enzymatic pre-treatment and amylose-lipid complex construction on the physicochemical properties of maize starch

In this study, the effects of maltogenic amylase (MAA) pre-treatment and starch-fatty acid complex construction on the physicochemical properties of maize starch (MAS) were investigated. The average chain length of MAA-modified MAS was found to decrease from 18.15 to 14.92. Moreover, MAA pre-treatment of starch induced the formation of a V-type complex. This behaviour was demonstrated by the higher diffraction intensity, enzymatic resistance and short-range ordering of the samples pre-treated with MAA compared with unmodified samples. X-ray diffraction and rheological analysis revealed that the re-crystallisation peak intensities and storage modulus of MAA-MAS-lauric acid (LA)/stearic acid (SA) complexes were lower than those of MAA-starches, MAS-LA/SA complexes and control. The rate of starch re-crystallisation was effectively decreased by the combination of MAA pre-treatment and V-type complex construction. The anti-retrogradation (long-term) characteristics of the tested samples were in the following order: MAA-MAS-LA/SA complexes > MAA-starches > MAS-LA/SA complexes > control.

Impact of molecular structure of starch on the glutinous taste quality of cooked chestnut kernels

Chestnuts are a starchy food with a characteristic glutinous taste that is often used to assess their quality. In this study, our findings indicated that chestnuts with higher glutinous taste quality had lower amylose content and microcrystalline structures, as well as higher subcrystalline structures and relative crystallinity in both the raw and steamed starches. In the leached starch, chestnuts with higher glutinous taste quality had lower amylopectin B1 chains and microcrystalline structure, but higher amylopectin B2 chains, subcrystalline structure and relative crystallinity. These results suggest that amylose content, relative crystallinity, and amylopectin chain length distribution are important factors determining the glutinous taste quality of chestnuts. To further enhance our understanding of these factors, an sensory evaluation model was developed based on textural profile analysis parameters. This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between molecular structure of starch and the glutinous taste quality of starchy foods.

Fabrication and release property of self-assembled garlic essential oil-amylose inclusion complex by pre-gelatinization coupling with high-speed shear

Our aim was to investigate the preparation of self-assembled garlic essential oil-amylose inclusion complexes (SGAs) using garlic essential oil (GEO) and corn starch (CS), and evaluated their release properties. SGAs were fabricated by pre-gelatinization coupling with high-speed shear at different GEO-CS mass ratios. When the mass ratio of GEO to pre-gelatinized corn starch was set at 15 % (SGA-15 %), with a fixed shear rate of 9000 rpm and a shear time of 30 min, the allicin content was 0.573 ± 0.023 mg/g. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed a starch V-type crystalline structure in SGAs with peaks at 13.0°, 18.0°, and 20.0° (2θ). Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra of SGAs displayed a shift in the characteristic peak of diallyl trisulfide from 987.51 cm-1 to 991.45 cm-1. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that SGAs exhibited lamellar structures covered with small granules. SGAs exhibited higher residual mass (approximately 12 %) than other samples. The resistant starch content of SGAs increased from 10.1 % to 18.4 % as GEO contents varied from 5 % to 15 %. In vitro digestion tests showed that about 53.21 % of allicin remained in SGA-15 % after 8 h. Therefore, this dual treatment can be a new method for fabricating controlled-release inclusion complexes of guest molecules.

Development and characterization of an active starch-based film as a chlorogenic acid delivery system

Given its health benefits for the human body, chlorogenic acid (CA) offers promising applications in the food industry. However, the instability and low bioavailability of CA remain to be solved. In this paper, a starch-based film prepared by the homogenization and solution-casting method was used as an effective carrier to alleviate these problems. Homogenization (10-50 MPa) reduced the starch paste viscosity and its particle sizes from 21.64 to 7.68 μm, which promoted the starch recrystallization and induced chemical cross-links between starch-CA, as confirmed by the FTIR result with an appearance of a new CO peak at about 1716 cm-1. Accordingly, the rapidly digestible starch content of the film was reduced to 27.83 % and the CA encapsulation efficiency was increased to 99.08 % (from 65.88 %). As a result, the film system extended CA's release time beyond 4 h and significantly increased the heat-treated CA's antioxidant activity. Besides, the tensile strength and elastic modulus of the film were also improved to 6.29 MPa (from 1.63 MPa) and 160.98 MPa (from 12.02 MPa), respectively, by homogenization. In conclusion, the developed active starch-based film could be used as an edible film for the production of functional food or active food packaging.

Effects of different food ingredients and additives on the digestibility of extruded and roller-dried maize starch and its application in low glycemic index nutritional formula powder

BACKGROUND

Complex interactions that occur among starch, protein, and fat during food processing affect the taste, texture, and digestibility of starch-based food. The physicochemical properties of starch, in particular its slow digestibility, are greatly influenced by processing techniques such as extrusion and roller-drying. This study investigated the effects of various food ingredients and additives on the digestion properties of maize starch treated with extrusion and roller drying. It designed a nutritional formula to develop low glycemic index products.

RESULTS

The extruded group containing raw maize starch, soybean protein isolate, soybean oil, lecithin and microcrystalline cellulose in the ratio of 580:250:58:20:3 had the best slow digestion properties. Nutritional formulas were designed at the above ratio, with supplements including calcium casein peptide, multi-vitamins, sodium ascorbate, fructooligosaccharides, xylitol, and peanut meal. The sample containing 10% peanut meal and a 1:3 ratio of fructooligosaccharides and xylitol additions obtained the highest sensory evaluation scores. An obvious slow digestion effect was observed in samples produced from the optimal formula.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study could contribute to the development and production of a low glycemic index, nutritional powder. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of proanthocyanidins from different sources on the digestibility, physicochemical properties and structure of gelatinized maize starch

The effect of proanthocyanidins (PAs) from Chinese bayberry leaves (BLPs), grape seeds (GSPs), peanut skins (PSPs) and pine barks (PBPs) on physicochemical properties, structure and in-vitro digestibility of gelatinized maize starch was investigated. The results showed that all PAs remarkably retarded starch digestibility, meanwhile, BLPs highlighted superiority in increasing resistant starch content from 31.29 ± 1.12 % to 68.61 ± 1.15 %. The iodine-binding affinity analysis confirmed the interaction between PAs and starch, especially the stronger binding of BLPs to amylose, which was driven by non-covalent bonds supported by XRD and FT-IR analysis. Further, we found that PAs altered the rheological properties, thermal properties and morphology structure of starch. In brief, PAs induced larger consistency, poorer flow ability, lower gelatinization temperatures and melting enthalpy change (ΔH) of starch paste. SEM and CLSM observation demonstrated that PAs facilitated starch aggregation. Our results indicated that PAs especially BLPs could be considered as potential additives to modify starch in food industry.

Complexation of starch and phenolic compounds during food processing and impacts on the release of phenolic compounds

Phenolic compounds can form complexes with starch during food processing, which can modulate the release of phenolic compounds in the gastrointestinal tract and regulate the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds. The starch-phenolic complexation is determined by the structure of starch, phenolic compounds, and the food processing conditions. In this review, the complexation between starch and phenolic compounds during (hydro)thermal and nonthermal processing is reviewed. A hypothesis on the complexation kinetics is developed to elucidate the mechanism of complexation between starch and phenolic compounds considering the reaction time and the processing conditions. The subsequent effects of complexation on the physicochemical properties of starch, including gelatinization, retrogradation, and digestion, are critically articulated. Further, the release of phenolic substances and the bioaccessibility of different types of starch-phenolics complexes are discussed. The review emphasizes that the processing-induced structural changes of starch are the major determinant modulating the extent and manner of complexation with phenolic compounds. The controlled release of complexes formed between phenolic compounds and starch in the digestive tracts can modify the functionality of starch-based foods and, thus, can be used for both the modulation of glycemic response and the targeted delivery of phenolic compounds.

Influence of ultrasonic-microwave power on the structure and in vitro digestibility of lotus seed starch-glycerin monostearin complexes after retrogradation

The digestibility of starches with high amylose content can be modulated by the complexation with lipids, which is largely influenced by physical modification methods. In the current work, the impact of ultrasound-microwavre synergistic treatment on the structure and in vitro digestibility of lotus seed starch-glycerin monostearin complexes (LS-GMSc) after retrogradation were investigated. Results showed that 400 W of ultrasound treatment combined with microwave was more conducive to the formation of LS-GMSc, which increased the microcrystalline region and ordering degree of starch. However, excessively high ultrasound intensity weakened V-type diffraction and promoted amylose recrystallization. Investigation of the micromorphology and thermal properties revealed that the existence of V-complexes retarded starch retrogradation, and this effect was significantly enhanced after appropriate ultrasound (400 W) treatment. The digestion showed that 400 W of ultrasound treatment improved the digestive resistance of starch complexes and increased the content of resistant starch. These results are significant to the theoretical foundation and functional application of V-type complexes on anti-gelling and anti-digestion.

Ultrasonication effects on physicochemical properties of starch-lipid complex

The starch-lipid complex between the pea starch (PSt) and glycerol monolaurate (GM) was prepared using ultrasound with different amplitudes, durations and application sequences. Fourier-transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra showed the formation of amylose-lipid complex between PSt and GM in the ultrasonic field. Stronger diffraction intensities were observed in samples treated by ultrasonication, whereas the thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the thermal stability of starch was improved by the formation of the V-type inclusion complexes. An ultrasound pre-treatment prior to the addition of a guest molecule (UC) was more favorable to induce the formation of an amylose-lipid complexes than ultrasound treatment after PSt was incorporated with GM (CU). The UC-treated samples showed stronger diffraction intensities, higher melting enthalpy values and enzyme-resistant than that of CU-treated PSt-GM complexes.

Insights into the formation and digestive properties of lotus seed starch-glycerin monostearate complexes formed by freeze-thaw pretreatment and microfluidization

The objective of this paper was to investigate the formation and digestive properties of lotus seed starch-glycerin monostearate complexes (LSG) formed by freeze-thaw pretreatment and microfluidization. The results showed that the preparation of LSG with six freeze-thaw cycles at 60 MPa had the highest complex index (69.92%). The formation of LSG led to the conversion of the crystalline pattern of lotus seed starch from C-type to V-type and increased the proportion of the microcrystalline region. In addition, the digestive results indicated that LSG had a high resistance to digestive enzymes, which was conducive to increasing the content of resistant starch. Based on the above investigation, the formation and digestive properties showed that the appropriate number of freeze-thaw cycles of pretreatment could facilitate the complexation of starch and lipid under low-pressure microfluidization, which made for the directional regulation of helical conformation and anti-digestion.

Physical modification on the in vitro digestibility of Tartary buckwheat starch: Repeated retrogradation under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions

The effects of repeated retrogradation (RR, range from 1 to 3 times) at different temperatures (4 °C; 4/25 °C, with a 24 h interval; 25 °C) on the in vitro digestibility and structures of Tartary buckwheat starch (TS) were investigated in this study. Results demonstrated that TS treated by RR for 1 time under 4/25 °C contained the maximum content of slowly digestible starch (SDS, 35.25%); TS treated by RR for 3 times under 25 °C contained the maximum content of resistant starch (RS, 54.92%). As the increase of RR cycle times, the value of relative crystallinity, the ratios of 1047/1022 cm^-1 and 995/1022 cm^-1 increased, the starch pore wall thickened, and more smooth fragments appeared (observed by scanning electron microscope), while the value of melting temperature range trended to decrease. The crystallization type of TS changed from type "A" to a mixture of "B + V" after retrogradation treatment. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the content of rapidly digestible starch (RDS) was negatively correlated with the ratio of 995/1022 cm^-1, transition temperatures, and enthalpy (P < 0.05). These results would supply a potential method for the preparation of starch with slow-digesting properties, also improve the utilization and expand the application of TS.

Effects of freeze-thaw treatment and pullulanase debranching on the structural properties and digestibility of lotus seed starch-glycerin monostearin complexes

The effects of multiple cycles of freeze-thaw treatment, combined with pullulanase debranching, on the structural properties and digestibility of lotus seed starch-glycerin monostearin complexes were investigated. The formation and melting of ice crystals during freeze-thaw treatment disrupted the crystalline structure of the starch granules, creating pores which facilitated access of pullulanase to the interior of the granules. Pullulanase debranching increased the free amylose content of the starch, which promoted the formation of starch-lipid complexes, which, in turn, increased the proportion of resistant starch and the overall resistance of the starch to digestive enzyme action. These effects increased with the number of freeze-thaw cycles, because more cycles increased both the disruption of the granule structure and the extent of pullulanase debranching. These findings provide a basis for the preparation of functional foods with low glycemic indices, which have strong potential for management of type II diabetes.

Effects of freeze-thaw pretreatment on the structural properties and digestibility of lotus seed starch-glycerin monostearin complexes

To investigate the effects of freeze-thaw cycle pretreatment (in one cycle, frozen samples were reheated to 50 °C and then frozen at -20 °C) on the structural properties and digestibility of lotus seed starch-glycerin monostearin complexes, their complex index, crystal structure, molecular structure, micro-morphology, and digestibility were analyzed. The results showed that an appropriate number of freeze-thaw cycles facilitated the helical assembly of lotus seed starch and glycerin monostearin. Specifically, six cycles of freeze-thaw pretreatment were favorable for forming V_6I-type complexes with high microcrystalline proportion. This contributed to the high stability of crystalline region and order arrangement of molecular structure. Moreover, V_6I-complexes were in the form of lamellar debris in micro-morphology, and their total digestion and digestion rates were lower than those of other samples. These results were of significance for developing slowly digesting lotus seed starch-based food.

Latest developments in the applications of microfluidization to modify the structure of macromolecules leading to improved physicochemical and functional properties

Microfluidization is a unique high-pressure homogenization technique combining various forces such as high-velocity impact, high-frequency vibration, instantaneous pressure drop, intense shear rate, and hydrodynamic cavitation. Even though it is mainly used on emulsion-based systems and known for its effects on particle size and surface area, it also significantly alters physicochemical and functional properties of macromolecules including hydration properties, solubility, viscosity, cation-exchange capacity, rheological properties, and bioavailability. Besides, the transformation of structure and conformation due to the combined effects of microfluidization modifies the material characteristics that can be a base for new innovative food formulations. Therefore, microfluidization is being commonly used in the food industry for various purposes including the formation of micro- and nano-sized emulsions, encapsulation of easily degradable bioactive compounds, and improvement in functional properties of proteins, polysaccharides, and dietary fibers. Although the extent of modification through microfluidization depends on processing conditions (e.g., pressure, number of passes, solvent), the nature of the material to be processed also changes the outcomes significantly. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of microfluidization on each food component. Overall, this review paper provides an overview of microfluidization treatment, summarizes the applications on macromolecules with specific examples, and presents the existing problems.