Characterization of the starch molecular structure of wheat varying in the content of resistant starch

Resistant starch (RS) is the total amount of starch that is incompletely or not digested and absorbed in the small intestine. It plays a role similar to dietary fibre with beneficial effects for human health. In this study, the RS content of 129 wheat accessions was determined, and the relationship between the several starch physical properties and resistant starch content were analyzed. By comparing the total starch content, amylose starch content, starch chain length distribution, starch crystallization type, starch branching degree, and starch granule morphology between the high RS and low RS content wheat accessions, it was found that the amylose content and RS content were significantly positively correlated. However, in the range of chain length fb 3 (DP ≥ 37), there was a significant negative correlation between amylopectin content and RS content. The surface of starch granules became increasingly smooth as the content of RS increased.

Loss of ADP-glucose transporter in barley sex1 mutant caused shrunken endosperm but with elevated protein and β-glucan content in whole meal

Grain shape and plumpness affect barley yield. Despite numerous studies on shrunken endosperm mutants in barley, their molecular mechanism and application potential in the food industry are largely unknown. Here, map-based cloning, co-segregation analyses, and allelic variant validation revealed that the loss of HORVU6Hr1G037950 encoding an ADP-glucose transporter caused the shrunken endosperm in sex1. Haplotype analysis suggested that hap4 in the promoter sequence was positively related to the hundred-grain weight showing a breeding potential. A pair of near-isogenic lines targeting HORVU6Hr1G037950 was produced and characterized to investigate molecular mechanisms that SEX1 regulates endosperm development. Results presented that the absence of the SEX1 gene led to the decrease of starch content and A-type granules size, the increase of β-glucan, protein, gelatinization temperature, soluble sugar content, amylopectin A chains, and B1 chains. Enzymatic activity, transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed the loss of SEX1 results in an impaired ADP-glucose-to-starch conversion process, consequently leading to higher soluble sugar contents and lower starch accumulation, thereby inducing a shrunken-endosperm phenotype in sex1. Taken together, this study provides new insights into barley grain development, and the elevated protein and β-glucan contents of the whole meal in sex1 imply its promising application in the food industry.

Optimization of the Sustainable Production of Resistant Starch in Rice Bran and Evaluation of Its Physicochemical and Technological Properties

In this study, the optimization of ultrasound (US) (850 kHz, 120 W) processing parameters (temperature, time, and power) for the enhanced production of resistant starch (RS) in rice bran (RB) matrixes was performed. The effect of US cavitation at different temperatures on the morphology, physicochemical properties, and mechanical performance of RS was evaluated. Ultrasonication at 40−70 °C temperatures affected the chemical structure, reduced the crystallinity of RS from 23.85% to between 18.37 and 4.43%, and increased the mechanical and thermal stability of RS pastes, indicating a higher tendency to retrograde. US treatment significantly (p < 0.05) improved the oil (OAC) and water (WAC) absorption capacities, swelling power (SP), solubility (WS), and reduced the least-gelation concentration (LGC). The mathematical evaluation of the data indicated a significant effect (p < 0.05) of the US parameters on the production of RS. The largest increment of RS (13.46 g/100 g dw) was achieved with US cavitation at 1.8 W/cm2 power, 40.2 °C temperature, and 18 min of processing time. The developed method and technology bring low-temperature US processing of rice milling waste to create a new sustainable food system based on modified rice bran biopolymers.

Resistant starch type 2 from lotus stem: Ultrasonic effect on physical and nutraceutical properties

Resistant starch type 2 (RS) was isolated from lotus stem using enzymatic digestion method. The isolated RS was subjected to ultrasonication (US) at different sonication power (100-400 W). The US treated and untreated RS samples were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). DLS revealed that particle size of RS decreased from 12.80 µm to 413.19 nm and zeta potential increased from -12.34 mV to -26.09 mV with the increase in sonication power. SEM revealed smaller, disintegrated and irregular shaped RS particles after ultrasonication. FT-IR showed the decreased the band intensity at 995 cm-1 and 1047 cm-1 signifying that US treatment decreased the crystallinity of RS and increased its amorphous character. The bile acid binding, anti-oxidant and pancreatic lipase inhibition activity of samples also increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the increase in sonication power. Increase in US power however increased the values of hydrolysis from 23.11 ± 1.09 to 36.06 ± 0.13% and gylcemic index from 52.39 ± 0.38 to 59.50 ± 0.11. Overall, the non-thermal process of ultrasonic treatment can be used to change the structural, morphological and nutraceutical profile of lotus stem resistant starch which can have great food and pharamaceutical applications.

Effects of treatment methods on the formation of resistant starch in purple sweet potato

In order to determine the mechanisms underlying resistant starch formation, three treatments were used to prepare resistant starch from purple sweet potato. The resistant starch yield, amylose content, chain length distribution, thermal properties, and crystal structure were determined, and the results were compared with those of unmodified starch. Autoclaving, pullulanase, and pullulanase-autoclaving treatments significantly increased the resistant starch yield, amylose content, shorter amylopectin branch content, and gelatinisation temperatures of native purple sweet potato starch. Resistant starch prepared via pullulanase-autoclaving combination treatment exhibited the highest gelatinisation enthalpy value and the greatest degree of overall thermal stability. X-ray diffraction patterns and Fourier-transform infrared spectra analysis demonstrated that all three treatments transformed the starch crystalline structure from C-type to B-type, and no new groups were generated during the modification process; all the processes were only physical modifications.

Debranching of pea starch using pullulanase and ultrasonication synergistically to enhance slowly digestible and resistant starch

Pullulanase (P) and ultrasonication (U) were simultaneously applied to debranch pea starch to enhance slowly digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) fractions in the debranched pea starch (DPS). A synergistic debranching effect was found under conditions of pullulanase (40 npun/g) and ultrasonication (100% amplitude in pulse mode, 1 min on followed by 9 min off), which produced 73.5% linear glucans, 18% SDS and 26% RS in the resulting DPS-PU after 6 h of debranching. Even when autoclaving the DPS-PU at 118 °C for 30 min, following cooldown, 11% SDS and 25% RS were retained in the DPS-PU, compared with 0% SDS and 12% RS in autoclaved native pea starch. The SDS fraction in autoclaved DPS-PU further increased to 16% while the RS content remained constant during 14 days of cold storage. In summary, DPS-PU is high in linear glucans, low in starch digestibility and has a thermally stable RS fraction.

Pullulanase treatments to increase resistant starch content of black chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) starch and the effects on starch properties

This study aimed to increase resistant starch (RS) content of black chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) by using pullulanase enzyme. Physicochemical and functional properties of enzyme treated starch (NE) was compared with that of enzyme-treated and gelatinized starch (GE) and the retrograded control starch (RC). RS contents for native black chickpea starch (NS) and black chickpea flour (NF) were measured as 15.2% and 5.0%, respectively. While for NE and GE, were found as 16.4% and 12.3%, respectively. Treatments made on the NS, increased the amount of RDS and reduced the amount of SDS significantly (p < .05). When the effect of enzyme application-autoclaving and retrogradation were compared, 41.3% increase in RS content was measured. In this study; RS3 production from black chickpea starch by a pullulanase enzyme was successfully performed. Enzymatic applications also improved the functional properties such as water absorption capacity, water solubility index value, fat binding capacity and emulsifying capacity. This enzyme treated black chickpea starch samples, being functionally improved, will possibly help to produce different products with desired quality parameters. Therefore, instead of native starch, pullulanase treated black chickpea starch may be used as a functional ingredient for increasing the amount of RS in food formulations.

Pasting, textural and thermal properties of resistant starch prepared from potato (Solanum tuberosum) starch using pullulanase enzyme

Pullulanase enzyme (40 U/g, 10 h) was used for enzymatic hydrolysis of potato starch which was autoclaved (121 °C/30 min), stored under refrigeration (4 °C/24 h) and lyophilized. Comparison of morphological, pasting, textural and thermal properties among native hydrolysed starch (V2) and gelatinized hydrolysed starch (V3) prepared using pullulanase enzyme on potato starch (V1) were studied. The round, elliptical, irregular and oval shape with smooth surface of V1 was replaced with amorphous mass of cohesive structure leading to loss of granular appearance in V2 and V3. The percentage of amylose and resistant starch content of V2 (27.16 %) and (24.16 %); V3 (51.44 %) and (29.35 %) was higher when compared to V1 (22.17 %) and (3.62 %). The swelling power of V1 observed at 60 °C (0.85 %) and 95 °C (8.64 %) were significantly different from V2 at 60 °C (4.97 %) and 95 °C (7.66 %) and that of V3 at 60 °C (5.82 %) and 95 °C (7.5 %). Significance difference in water solubility (7.62 %) and absorption capacity (6.11 %) was noted in V3 when compared with V1 and V2 owing to amylose/amylopectin content. Increase in water solubility and absorption capacity along with decrease in swelling power of V2 and V3 was noted due to hydrolytic and thermal process. RS obtained from hydrolysis showed a reduction in viscosity, indicating the rupture of starch molecules. The viscosity was found to be inversely proportional to the RS content in the sample. The thermal properties of RS increased due to the retrogradation and recrystallization (P < 0.05).