Structural Characteristics and In Vitro Digestibility of Malic Acid-Treated Corn Starch with Different pH Conditions

Improvement of pasting behavior and retrogradation inhibition of normal corn starch treated with phytic acid and malic acid

Phytic acid (PA) and malic acid (MA), as environmentally friendly, plant-based water-soluble acids, were applied to normal corn starch during dry heating at mildly acidic pH to improve its gelatinization and retrogradation behaviors. A significant increase in peak viscosity (5011-6338 mPa·s) was observed in starch treated with MA compared to native corn starch (1162 mPa·s). The treatment with PA and MA further increased the peak viscosity (8140-8621 mPa·s). The interactions of PA and MA with starch were analyzed using ICP-OES, FTIR, and 13C CP/MAS NMR. Swelling power and solubility increased in MA and PA + MA starches. After storage at 4 °C for 14 d, MA and PA + MA starches produced transparent and fluid gels without forming B-type crystals, which indicated inhibition of starch retrogradation by PA and MA treatments. In conclusion, dry heating with PA and MA produced starch with remarkably superior paste viscosity, swelling, and inhibition of retrogradation.

Impact of different organic acids on heat-moisture treated potato starch for enhancing prebiotic potential

This research verified the in vitro digestive properties of potato starch modified with citric acid (CA), malic acid (MA), and tartaric acid (TA), and evaluated its prebiotic potential. The resistant starch (RS) content in CA- or MA-modified starch was greater than that in native starch. Furthermore, after cooking, all modified starches exhibited an increase in RS content by 2.3 to 3.3 times compared to native starch, which has a 29.81% RS content, demonstrating high thermal stability. Probiotic bacteria demonstrated increased viability, raiging form 6.38-6.85 log CFU/mL, when cultured with modified starch, in contrast to 4.48 log CFU/mL with glucose. During animal testing, modified starches consistently improved gastrointestinal transit, fecal moisture, and lipid levels. Notably, CA-, MA- or TA-modified starches promoted beneficial bacteria growth by providing short-chain fatty acids, with CA-modified starch proving to be the most potent.

Biophysical, Nutraceutical, and Technofunctional Features of Specialty Cereals: Pigmented Popcorn and Sorghum

Different pigmented corn and sorghum types were evaluated to characterize their biophysical, nutraceutical, and technofunctional properties for the first time. Commercially pigmented (blue, purple, red, black, and yellow) popcorn (Zea mays var. everta) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) of yellow and red colors were analyzed. Biophysical and proximal analyses were performed using official methods. The nutraceutical profile included the total phenolic and anthocyanin content. In addition, rheological, structural, and morphological studies were conducted. The results demonstrated significant differences between the popcorn samples and grain types, especially in terms of their biophysical and proximate features. The nutraceutical profile revealed that these specialty grains contained higher concentrations of antioxidant compounds (up to 3-fold when compared with the other grains). The rheological analysis demonstrated that sorghum grains developed higher peak viscosities than popcorn. According to the structural assessments, the type A pattern displayed peaks at the interplanar spaces corresponding to the crystalline and amorphous regions in all the samples. The data obtained in this study provides a base to further investigate the products obtained using these biomaterials.

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.

Impact of chemical modification by immersion with malic acid on the physicochemical properties and resistant starch formation in rice

The effects of immersion time on the physicochemical properties and resistant starch (RS) formation of malic acid-treated rice were investigated. Malic acid treatment decreased the frequency of cracks within the rice kernel. The color (lightness) was significantly affected by the immersion time, reflecting the browning of rice. The degree of substitution gradually increased with the immersion time and reached a plateau after 12 h, and the intensity of the C=O bond peak detected in the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed a similar trend. However, the crystallinity of rice decreased as the immersion time increased, which was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and thermal transition properties. A gradual increase in RS was observed as the immersion time and DS increased, ranging from 44.5% to 73.3%, reaching a maximum after 12 h of immersion. Therefore, 12 h was determined to be the optimal immersion time for maximizing RS content. This information about the structural characteristics and heat-stable properties of malic acid-treated rice in starch digestion can be used to develop a low-digestible food ingredient and lead to further application of the study. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study reported the preparation and physicochemical properties of malic acid-treated resistant starch with different immersion times. This information could contribute to the structural characterization of resistant starch and the development of low-calorie processed rice products.

Impact of esterification with malic acid on the structural characteristics and in vitro digestibilities of different starches

This research focused on the structural characteristics of resistant starches (RSs) that were obtained from corn, potato, and sweet potato and esterified by L-malic acid. Further, the unique effect of the degree of substitution (DS) on the crystalline properties was studied. Different starches were allowed to react with 2 M malic acid (pH 1.5) for 12 h at 130 °C. The shapes of the granules and the Maltese-cross shapes of samples were maintained and visible under an optical microscope. The FT-IR spectrum displayed evident carbonyl peaks at 1740 cm^-1, and the onset temperature (T_o) and gelatinization enthalpy (∆H) gradually decreased as DS increased. The malic acid-treated starches exhibited an increased RS content compared to those of the control. The RS contents of potato, sweet potato, and corn, which were 65.5%, 70.0%, and 89.8% in the uncooked MT-samples, decreased to 57.3%, 63.8%, and 86.7% in the cooked MT-samples, respectively, and exhibited high heat stability; corn starch yielded the highest RS among them. The thermal and malic acid treatments resulted in the partial hydrolysis and rearrangement of the helix structure of crystalline area, which was affected by esterification. The result revealed that the RS content increased as that of DS escalated.

Faba bean meal, starch or protein fortification of durum wheat pasta differentially influence noodle composition, starch structure and in vitro digestibility

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) flour, starch concentrate (60% starch), protein concentrate (~60% protein) and protein isolate (~85% protein) were added to replace one-quarter of durum wheat semolina to enrich the nutritional quality and physiological functions of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) pasta. The raw pasta samples prepared with protein concentrate or isolate had higher (p ≤ 0.001) protein and lower (p ≤ 0.001) total starch concentrations, along with increased total dietary fiber and slowly digestible starch (p ≤ 0.001) than durum wheat semolina control or those with added whole faba-bean flour or isolated starch. The faba bean fortified pasta had altered starch with increased proportion of medium B-type glucan chains and long C-type glucan chains, reduced starch digestibility and were associated with glycaemia related effects in the human diet. The faba bean fortified pasta had increased protein and dietary fiber that influenced food intake and satiety. The results suggest differential contributions of food ingredients in human health outcomes.

Properties of Potato Starch Roasted with Apple Distillery Wastewater

This study aimed to produce starch esters by roasting potato starch with apple distillery wastewater at various temperatures and aimed to determine the effects of esterification conditions on selected properties of the modified preparations. Apple distillery wastewater was concentrated, mixed with starch (30 g of dry matter per 100 g of starch), dried, and roasted at temperatures of 110, 130 or 150 °C for 3 h. The resulting preparations were rinsed 30 times with a 60% ethanol solution, dried, and disintegrated. After that, the following analyses were performed: content of substituted acids (after alkaline de-esterification) with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); thermal characteristics with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); swelling power and solubility in water at 80 °C; color changes with a colorimeter; rheology of the pastes based on the plotted flow curves; and the pastes’ resistance to amyloglucosidase. Starch treatments with apple distillery wastewater at 130 and 150 °C caused significant changes to its properties when compared to the control samples of native starch and starch roasted without wastewater, including: a lower temperature and heat of pasting, lower swelling power and solubility in water, darker color, higher resistance to amyloglucosidase, and the formation of pastes with a lower viscosity.