Oat starch - How physical and chemical modifications affect the physicochemical attributes and digestibility?

Integration of machine learning and genome-wide association study to explore the genomic prediction accuracy of agronomic trait in oats (Avena sativa L.)

Machine learning (ML) has garnered significant attention for its potential to enhance the accuracy of genomic predictions (GPs) in various economic crops with the use of complete genomic information. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are widely used to pinpoint trait-related causal variant loci in genomes. However, the simultaneous integration of both methods for crop genome prediction necessitates further research. In this study, we integrated ML and GWAS to assess the efficiency of GP for seven key agronomic traits in 195 oat (Avena sativa) cultivars from major oat-growing regions around the world. A total of 94 trait-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified through the GWAS study. GP studies were conducted using the classical model genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) and six ML models. GBLUP performed poorly in predicting all traits except flag leaf width, while none of the ML models consistently provided the best prediction accuracy across all traits. The prediction accuracy of the GWAS-derived markers was better than that of the use of genome-wide markers, and plant height had the highest prediction rate at 100 GWAS-derived markers, and the rest of the traits for which more markers were required. These results play an important role in advancing the use of GP in small oat breeding programs by optimizing the prediction rate of GP and reducing the number of markers, confirming that high prediction rates can be achieved with smaller datasets.

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on physicochemical, thermal, and rheological properties of chemically modified corn starch

This study investigated the effects of ultrasonic and three chemical individual and dual modification treatments on corn starch's physicochemical, thermal, and rheological properties. Ultrasonication and the three chemical treatments disrupted the starch granules with a decrease in particle size and a significant increase in the ζ-potential. The hydrophilicity of ultrasonic-oxidized dual-modified starch (U-O-CS) was the highest, at 0.854 g/g. The lipophilicity of ultrasonic-esterified dual-modified starch (U-E-CS) was the highest, at 1.485 g/g. The gelatinization temperature of ultrasonic, oxidation, and cross-linking modified starches increased significantly, with cross-linking starches being the largest. Oxidative treatment significantly decreased the starch's G' and G" and weakened the textural properties. The rheological properties of U-O-CS were further weakened. The G' of the starch decreased after the esterification treatment, while the G" increased, and the textural properties were cut. The maximum rheological and textural properties were obtained for crosslinked modification, with a hardness value of 284.70 g.

Rheological behavior and release dynamics of pregelatinized pink potato starch modified by stearic acid

The effects of stearic acid (5 %, 10 %, and 15 % w/w) and pregelatinized pink potato starch (20, 25, and 30 min) on complex formation, physicochemical properties, rheology, and release characteristics were investigated. Moisture content decreased from 14.26 % in pregelatinized starch to 13.25 %, 12.85 %, and 11.45 % in complexes with 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % stearic acid, respectively. Water-holding capacity dropped from 268.68 % to 128.26 %, 95.05 %, and 50.63 %, with increasing stearic acid concentrations. Swelling and solubility power also decreased, with swelling power reducing from 5.57 % to 3.45 % and solubility from 12.75 % to 10.34 %. Micromeritic evaluations showed improved flowability in starch-stearic acid complexes. X-ray diffraction revealed a V-type crystalline complex with characteristic peaks at 7°, 21°, 22°, and 24°, and additional peaks at 7° and 41°. FTIR spectra indicated complex formation with bands around 2917 and 1700 cm-1. FESEM imaging showed intact granules with irregular shapes and protruding amylose fragments. Rheological assessments indicated reduced viscosity and altered viscoelastic properties in the complexes. In-vitro release studies demonstrated controlled drug release, suggesting potential applications for targeted pharmaceutical delivery. This study emphasizes the functional modifications induced by stearic acid in pregelatinized starch, enhancing material properties for industrial and biomedical applications.

Characterization and Potential Food Applications of Oat Flour and Husks from Differently Colored Genotypes as Novel Nutritional Sources of Bioactive Compounds

Oats are gluten-free cereals rich in dietary fiber, β-glucans, phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin E, and phytosterols. They have been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat hyperacidity, acute pancreatitis, burns, and skin inflammation. This study assessed the nutritional and phenolic profile of oat flour (OF) and ground oat husks (OHs) from white, brown, and black hulled oat genotypes, as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of their extracts. The extracts were tested on six strains of gastrointestinal tract pathogens. OF samples had, on average, a high protein content (15.83%), fat content (6.27%), and β-glucan content (4.69%), while OH samples were rich in dietary fiber. OHs had significantly higher average total phenolic compounds compared to OF and had twice as high antioxidant capacity. Ferulic acid was predominant in all samples, followed by p-coumaric, isoferulic, vanillic, and syringic acid. The traditionally prepared OH extracts manifested the best bactericidal activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus haemolyticus, while Salmonella typhimurium was the least sensitive to the bactericidal effect of all the investigated samples. Both OF and powdered OHs have potential applications in the functional food industry and pharmacy due to their bioactive compounds, their biological activity, as well as their overall nutritional profile.

Recent advances in germinated cereal and pseudo-cereal starch: Properties and challenges in its modulation on quality of starchy foods

Germination is an environmentally friendly process with no use of additives, during which only water spraying is done to activate endogenous enzymes for modification. Furthermore, it could induce bioactive phenolics accumulation. Controlling endogenous enzymes' activity is essential to alleviate granular disruption, crystallinity loss, double helices' dissociation, and molecular degradation of cereal and pseudo-cereal starch. Post-treatments (e.g. thermal and high-pressure technology) make it possible for damaged starch to reassemble towards well-packed structure. These contribute to alleviated loss of solubility and pasting viscosity, improved swelling power, or enhanced resistant starch formation. Cereal or pseudo-cereal flour (except that with robust structure) modified by early germination is more applicable to produce products with desirable texture and taste. Besides shortening duration, germination under abiotic stress is promising to mitigate starch damage for better utilization in staple foods.

Evaluation of the performance of low-fat (oil-fat) dressings based on chemically modified Guayabo plantain starch (Musa paradisiaca L.)

Guayabo plantain (GP) starch was chemically modified by acetylation to evaluate its role as a stabilizer and emulsifier in low-fat dressings. Native starch (NS) from GP was chemically modified starch (MS), and its functional properties, such as water absorption index, water solubility index, swelling power, gelatinization temperature (Tg), were evaluated. Additionally, functional groups and morphology were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy. Low-fat dressings were prepared using NS and MS at two concentrations, 2% and 3% (NS2, NS3, MS2, MS3), and the stability of the dressings was evaluated over a storage period of 28 days at 4 °C ± 2.0 °C. The percentage of acetylation and the degree of substitution obtained were 2.48% and 0.01, respectively, complying with current regulations. MS showed a higher amylose content (23.62 ± 1.89%) than NS (16.01 ± 0.43%). The Tg of MS decreased, and the appearance of bands at 1012 and 1723 cm-1 in the FT-IR spectra suggested a modification in the functional characteristics of starch due to acetylation. Emulsions of MS at 2% and 3% (MS2 and MS3) showed a smaller droplet size and higher interfacial dispersion. However, MS3 had higher viscosity, which contributed to an increase in hydrophobicity and delays in flocculation and subsequent coalescence. This research study provides useful information on the use of 3% MS dressings in new food formulations, reducing fat content while preserving functional characteristics, thus ensuring greater stability.

Effects of ultrasonic and chemical dual modification treatments on the structural, and properties of cornstarch

This study aimed to explore the changes in the structural and functional properties of cornstarch modified by oxidation, esterification, and cross-linking under ultrasonic pretreatment. FT-IR and XRD characteristic peaks revealed successful access to chemical functional groups. Both ultrasonic and the three chemical treatments eroded the surface of starch granules, reducing their particle size and increasing their RC. Meanwhile, the destruction of the granules was further enhanced by the dual modification treatments. The ultrasonic pretreatment synergized and improved the swelling power, solubility, and translucency of all three chemical treatments. Further, it improved the poorer freeze-thaw stability of cross-linked starch, resulting in a lower water precipitation rate. In addition, both ultrasonic and chemical treatments significantly decreased RDS and SDS, and increased RS content. The ultrasonic-chemical dual modification had a synergistic effect on in vitro digestibility, resulting in a further increase in RS. In conclusion, this study provided ideas for developing new starch modification technology and deep processing of cornstarch, expanding its application areas and thus meeting the different needs of starch-based products.

Rheological, thermal, and in vitro starch digestibility properties of oat starch-lipid complexes

The influence of oat lipids on the structural, thermal, rheological, and in vitro digestibility properties of oat starch under heat processing conditions was investigated. X-ray diffraction, fourier infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry revealed the formation of a V-shaped crystal structure between starch and lipid, resulting in enhanced orderliness and enthalpy. Oat lipids decreased the final viscosity and gel strength of oat starch while weakening the trend towards gel network formation. Additionally, oat lipids exhibited enhanced resistance to starch hydrolase, leading to elevated contents of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch. Consequently, this leads to an augmentation in the rate constants for the rapid digestion fraction (k1) and the slow digestion fraction (k2). When the lipid content reached 7.50 %, a significant increase of 42.20 % was observed in the maximum digestibility of slow digestion fraction (C∞2), while a notable decrease of 44.06 % was noted in the maximum digestibility of rapid digestion fraction (C∞1). The correlation analysis revealed that lipid content, final viscosity, and enthalpy exerted significant influences on in vitro starch digestion. These results demonstrate the substantial impact of lipid content on oat starch structure, subsequently affecting its thermal, rheological, and digestive properties.

Structure and functional characteristics of starch from different hulled oats cultivated in China

This work aimed to evaluate the structure and functional characteristics of starch from ten hulled oat cultivars grown in different locations in China. The protein, phosphorus, amylose, and starch contents were 0.2-0.4 %, 475.7-691.8 ppm, 16.2-23.0 %, and 93.6-96.7 %, respectively. All the starches showed irregular polygonal shapes and A-type crystallization with molecular weights ranging from 7.2 × 107 to 4.5 × 108 g/mol. The amounts of amylopectin A (DP 6-12), B1 (DP 13-24), B2 (DP 25-36), and B3 (DP > 36) chains were in the ranges of 10.3-16.0 %, 54.5-64.8 %, 16.5-21.1 %, and 4.9-13.1 %, respectively. The starches differed significantly in gelatinization temperatures, pasting viscosity, solubility, swelling power, rheological properties, and digestion parameters. The results revealed that the larger particle size could increase the peak viscosity of the starch paste. The presence of phosphorus increased the gelatinization temperature and enhanced the resistant starch content. The starch granules with higher crystallinity contained a higher proportion of phosphate, which increased final viscosity and setback viscosity but decreased rapidly digestible starch. Overall, oat starch with a high phosphorus content could be used to prepare low-glycemic-index food for diabetes patients.

Water resistant, biodegradable and flexible corn starch/carboxymethyl cellulose composite film for slow-release fertilizer coating materials

The inherent limitations of Cornstarch (CS) and Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) membranes, such as brittleness, fragility, and water solubility, limit their use in controlled-release fertilizers. This study reports on the synthesis of crosslinked CMC/CS-20-E composite membranes using the casting technique, with epichlorohydrin (ECH) as the crosslinking agent in an acidic environment to crosslink CS and CMC. The synthesized composite film demonstrates remarkable water resistance, as evidenced by the insignificant alteration in its morphology and structure post 72 h of water immersion. Its flexibility is reflected in its capacity to endure knotting and bending, with an elongation at break reaching 78.1 %. Moreover, the degradation rate surpasses 90 % within a span of seven days. The CMC/CS-20-E-x-urea controlled-release fertilizer was subsequently produced using a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique, where urea particles were incorporated into the crosslinked composite solution. This CMC/CS-20-E-x-urea controlled-release fertilizer displayed superior controlled-release performance over a duration of seven days when juxtaposed with pure urea. In particular, the CMC/CS-20-E-3 %-urea controlled-release fertilizer showed a cumulative release rate of 84 % by the seventh day. The controlled-release fertilizers developed in this study offer a promising strategy for creating eco-friendly options that are crucial for fertilizing crops with short growth cycles.

Regulating the physicochemical, structural characteristics and digestibility of potato starch by complexing with different phenolic acids

The effects of ferulic acid (FA), protocatechuic acid (PA), and gallic acid (GA) on the physicochemical characteristics, structural properties, and in vitro digestion of gelatinized potato starch (PS) were investigated. Rapid viscosity analysis revealed that the gelatinized viscosity parameters of PS decreased after complexing with different phenolic acids. Dynamic rheology results showed that phenolic acids could reduce the values of G' and G″ of PS-phenolic acid complexes, demonstrating that the addition of phenolic acids weakened the viscoelasticity of starch gel. Fourier-transform infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction results elucidated that phenolic acids primarily reduced the degree of short-range ordered structure of starch through non-covalent interactions. The decrease in thermal stability and the more porous microstructure of the complexes confirmed that phenolic acids could interfere with the gel structure of the starch. The addition of different phenolic acids decreased the rapidly digestible starch (RDS) content and increased the resistant starch (RS) content, with GA exhibiting the best inhibitory capacity on starch in vitro digestibility, which might be associated with the number of hydroxy groups in phenolic acids. These results revealed that phenolic acids could affect the physicochemical characteristics of PS and regulate its digestion and might be a potential choice for producing slow digestibility starch foods.

A comprehensive review on starch: Structure, modification, and applications in slow/controlled-release fertilizers in agriculture

This comprehensive review thoroughly examines starch's structure, modifications, and applications in slow/controlled-release fertilizers (SRFs) for agricultural purposes. The review begins by exploring starch's unique structure and properties, providing insights into its molecular arrangement and physicochemical characteristics. Various methods of modifying starch, including physical, chemical, and enzymatic techniques, are discussed, highlighting their ability to impart desirable properties such as controlled release and improved stability. The review then focuses on the applications of starch in the development of SRFs. It emphasizes the role of starch-based hydrogels as effective nutrient carriers, enabling their sustained release to plants over extended periods. Additionally, incorporating starch-based hydrogel nano-composites are explored, highlighting their potential in optimizing nutrient release profiles and promoting plant growth. Furthermore, the review highlights the benefits of starch-based fertilizers in enhancing plant growth and crop yield while minimizing nutrient losses. It presents case studies and field trials demonstrating starch-based formulations' efficacy in promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Overall, this review consolidates current knowledge on starch, its modifications, and its applications in SRFs, providing valuable insights into the potential of starch-based formulations to improve nutrient management, boost crop productivity, and support sustainable agriculture.

Effect of electron beam irradiation on granular cold-water swelling chestnut starch: Improvement of cold-water solubility, multiscale structure, and rheological properties

In this study, granular cold-water swelling (GCWS) starch was prepared from chestnut starch by ethanol-alkali method, after which it was further modified by electron beam irradiation (EBI) technique to investigate the effect of EBI on GCWS chestnut starch. It was shown that the alcohol-alkali treatment disrupted the starch double helix structure and the starch crystalline form had been changed from "C" to "V" type. On this basis, EBI continued to act on the disrupted starch chains and further cleaved the long chains into short chains, which significantly improved the solubility of starch to 90.08 % in cold water at a 24 kGy irradiation dose. Therefore, this study can broaden the application scope of starch and provide new ideas for GCWS starch applications in food and water-soluble pharmaceutical industries.

Starch-based controlled release fertilizers: A review

Starch, as a widely available renewable resource, has the potential to be used in the production of controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) that support sustainable agriculture. These CRFs can be formed by incorporating nutrients through coating or absorption, or by chemically modifying the starch to enhance its ability to carry and interact with nutrients. This review examines the various methods of creating starch-based CRFs, including coating, chemical modification, and grafting with other polymers. In addition, the mechanisms of controlled release in starch-based CRFs are discussed. Overall, the potential benefits of using starch-based CRFs in terms of resource efficiency and environmental protection are highlighted.

Carbohydrate polymer-based nanocomposites for breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer is known as the most common invasive malignancy in women with the highest mortality rate worldwide. This concerning disease may be presented in situ (relatively easier treatment) or be invasive, especially invasive ductal carcinoma which is highly worrisome nowadays. Among several strategies used in breast cancer treatment, nanotechnology-based targeted therapy is currently being investigated, as it depicts advanced technological features able of preventing drugs' side effects on normal cells while effectively acting on tumor cells. In this context, carbohydrate polymer-based nanocomposites have gained particular interest among the biomedical community for breast cancer therapy applications due to their advantage features, including abundance in nature, biocompatibility, straightforward fabrication methods, and good physicochemical properties. In this review, the physicochemical properties and biological activities of carbohydrate polymers and their derivate nanocomposites were discussed. Then, various methods for the fabrication of carbohydrate polymer-based nanocomposites as well as their application in breast cancer therapy and future perspectives were discussed.