Effect of endosperm type on texture and in vitro starch digestibility of maize tortillas

Tortilla is the main staple of Mexico and it is made using diverse maize varieties, which have different endosperm types. Three maize varieties with vitreous, intermediate and floury endosperms were used. Texture and starch digestibility were evaluated in freshly prepared and stored tortillas for 24, 48 and 72 h. Tortilla made with maize of vitreous endosperm had the highest force to rupture and the lowest distance of elongation, indicating more rigid texture. Stored tortillas had lower available starch content and higher effect was shown by tortilla of vitreous endosperm, pattern that agrees with the higher increase in the resistant starch content with the storage time. Fresh tortilla of floury endosperm showed the highest hydrolysis rate during the first 15 min followed by tortillas of intermediate and vitreous endosperms. Starch hydrolysis values decreased when storage time increased, in agreement with the resistant starch content in the stored tortillas. At the longest storage time (72 h) tortilla of floury endosperm presented higher hydrolysis rate, followed by tortilla of intermediate and vitreous endosperms. The endosperm type plays an important role in the textural and starch digestibility of fresh and stored tortillas.     

Physicochemical characteristics of waxy rice starch influencing the in vitro digestibility of a starch gel

Starches were isolated from three waxy rice varieties: Koganemochi (Kog), Hakuchomochi (Hak), and Kantomochi 172 (K172). Forty percent starch gels were prepared and the extent of starch gel digestibility was determined by an in vitro method. The distribution of chain lengths of amylopectin was analyzed and differential scanning calorimetry was used to analyze gelatinization and retrogradation of waxy rice starch. The K172 gel had significantly higher resistance to hydrolysis than had the other gels. The K172 starch contained lower proportions of the short chains of amylopectin and showed higher gelatinization temperature and enthalpy. The retrogradation peak was measured using waxy rice starch gels stored for 1 and 7 days at 5 °C. The K172 gel was observed to retrograde more quickly and to have a greater extent of retrogradation than the other gels. The difference in amylopectin chain length distribution and recrystallinity contributed to the variation in the starch gel digestibility of waxy rice.     

Effect of inulin soluble dietary fibre addition on technological, sensory, and structural properties of durum wheat spaghetti

Investigation of two inulins with differing degrees of polymerisation and crystallinity demonstrated different levels of integration with the starch-gluten matrix during pasta preparation. The impact of higher molecular weight inulin incorporation on technological and sensory properties was minimal, with deterioration in properties becoming significant only at 20% incorporation, while lower molecular weight had a greater negative impact on pasta firmness, cooking loss, and sensory acceptability. In vitro starch digestion of pasta was reduced with up to 5% addition of inulin of degree of polymerisation 12-14 (FH-D), but increased with high levels of addition. These effects were not observed in inulin with a degree of polymerisation of 7-8 (LV-100). Microscopy showed the starch granules were apparently encapsulated by a protective coat of inulin FH-D, but at 20% a disruption to the matrix was evident. For inulin FH-D, XRD analysis of digested pasta found a maximum crystallinity which coincided with the maximum reduction in starch hydrolysis, suggesting that a stronger gluten matrix enhanced by added inulin is indeed structurally different at the nanometre level.     

Effect of non-starch polysaccharides on the in vitro digestibility and rheological properties of rice starch gel

The starch digestibility and rheological properties of gels were evaluated in the presence of three non-starch polysaccharides (agar, xanthan gum and konjac glucomannan) with rice starch. Each polysaccharide was added to 30% (w/w) rice starch suspension at defined concentrations and starch gels were prepared. The extent of starch gel digestibility was determined by an in vitro method and rheological properties by a dynamic oscillatory test and a compression test. The added polysaccharides suppressed starch hydrolysis in the gels compared with the control, and a concentration dependency of this suppressive effect was observed. Adding agar and xanthan gum increased the storage shear modulus (G′) of starch gels, while adding konjac glucomannan decreased G′ values. The results indicate that the suppressive effect of non-starch polysaccharides on starch digestibility appears to be not only due to the rigidity of the gel, but also the interaction between starch and non-starch polysaccharides.     

In vitro measurement of resistant starch of cooked milled rice and physico-chemical characteristics affecting its formation

Resistant starch (RS) content was determined in 10 indica and japonica milled rices with different levels of amylose. The effect of microbial growth during starch digestion on the measurement of RS, and the correlation between physico-chemical characteristics and RS contents of milled rice were analysed. Results indicated a significant decrease (P < 0.01) in assay values of RS after antibiotics addition, and the markedly decreased sample pH due to fermentation might be the main reason for errors in RS determination. Correlation analyses showed that RS contents of milled rice were closely related to amylose content (r = 0.75, P < 0.05) and protein content (r = 0.78, P < 0.01). No significant correlation existed between RS content and some relatively simple physical properties, such as width, shape and elongation ratio of rice grain, which were reported to be good indictors of rate of rice starch digestion, while a significant positive correlation was found between elongation ratio and digestible starch in cooked milled rice (r = 0.67, P < 0.05).     

Effect of insoluble dietary fibre addition on technological,sensory, and structural properties of durum wheat spaghetti

Insoluble fibres are important in human health and disease prevention and can be incorporated into food. High fibre pasta prepared with bran is typically inferior quality compared to durum pasta. This study compared spaghetti prepared from durum semolina substituted with various amounts of either durum bran or germ (pollard) dried at high temperature. Pasta was evaluated for cooking properties, texture, sensory, fibre content, antioxidant status (AO) and in vitro starch digestibility to determine the dose producing acceptable quality. Pollard at 10% substitution had minimal impact on quality with higher AO and fibre. Above 30%, pasta had undesirable colour, sensory properties and higher starch digestion. Although bran substituted pasta had undesirable sensory and technological properties, especially at 30% incorporation, it does provide more dietary fibre and antioxidants than regular pasta and does not affect starch digestibility. Interestingly, a significant amount of AO was retained in the cooked pasta. The study illustrates the value of structural analysis to explain observed technological properties of the product with fibre inclusion.     

In vitro lipolysis of fish oil microcapsules containing protein and resistant starch

Microencapsulated fish oil powders (50% oil:25% protein:25% starch) were prepared using a physical blend or a heated mixture of sodium caseinate and pre-processed resistant starch as encapsulants. The in vitro digestibility of microcapsules by lipase, amylase and proteases were examined. Heat treatment of the encapsulants and exposure of microcapsules to simulated gastric fluid (SGF) prior to addition of lipase, trypsin and amylase altered the susceptibility of the microcapsules to digestion. Lipolysis of microcapsules occurred in the presence of lipase alone and was increased in the presence of amylase and/or trypsin. Pre-exposure of microcapsules to SGF had different effects on lipolysis, which depended on the nature of the encapsulant material. Lipolysis in the presence of lipase alone was due to the displacement of the interfacial layer. Increased lipolysis in the presence of amylase and/or trypsin was attributed to the digestion of the encapsulant, which facilitated displacement of the interface of oil droplets by bile salts.     

Long- and short-range structural changes of recrystallised cassava starch subjected to in vitro digestion

The conformational and structural order of resistant starch type III made from cassava starch was studied. The gelatinized starch was debranched using pullulanase and then recrystallised by annealing, temperature-cycling or heat-moisture treatment. Subsequently, the recrystallised products were subjected to in vitro digestion using porcine pancreatic α-amylase and amyloglucosidase. The undigested and digested products were analyzed for polymer chain distribution, crystallinity, molecular order, structural conformations and thermal stability using high performance anion exchange chromatography, wide angle X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹³C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. Average degree of polymerisation increased from 20 to 22 glucose units upon digestion. Both the undigested and digested starches comprised mixtures of A, B and V crystalline types. Percentage of crystallinities by X-ray diffraction were 40.9%, 50.7% and 56.2% in annealed, temperature-cycled and heat-moisture treated starches, respectively. These values increased to 47.9%, 54.4% and 58.2%, respectively, in the digested products. The ordered fractions in the undigested annealed, temperature-cycled and heat-moisture treated starches were 69.3%, 71.4% and 79.2%, respectively, as determined by ¹³C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance. However, the disordered phase was indistinct in the digested products although the contents of non-crystalline conformations were significantly (p < 0.01) higher. The melting enthalpies of the digested residues increased by factors of 2.50 in annealed, 2.53 in temperature-cycled and 2.06 in heat-moisture treated starches, suggesting molecular rearrangement in a manner related to the enzyme susceptibility of the initial materials.     

Influence of non-starch polysaccharides on the in vitro digestibility and viscosity of starch suspensions

The effects of adding non-starch polysaccharides (xanthan gum, guar gum, konjac glucomannan, and pectin) on the starch digestibility and viscosity of raw starch suspensions in a mixed system were determined. Each type of polysaccharide was added to high-amylose corn starch suspensions at defined concentrations. High-amylose rice starch suspensions mixed with xanthan and guar gum were prepared for comparison. The extent of starch digestibility was determined by an in vitro method, and the glucose diffusibility from the dialysis tube in the presence of polysaccharides was measured. The added polysaccharides were observed to decrease the starch digestibility in a mixed system. When compared at the same concentration, xanthan gum showed the most pronounced suppressive effect on starch digestibility and glucose diffusibility from the dialysis tube. The addition of polysaccharides increased the viscosity of the starch suspension. Significant relations were found between the extent of starch digestibility and the apparent viscosity at low shear rate.     

Modification of pasta structure induced by high drying temperatures. Effects on the in vitro digestibility of protein and starch fractions and the potential allergenicity of protein hydrolysates

The effects of drying on pasta structure, starch and protein digestibility and potential allergenicity were investigated. Pasta was dried at low (55 °C, LT), high (70 °C, HT) and very high temperature (90 °C) applied either at the beginning (VHT) or at the end of the drying profile (VHT_LM). Changes in dried and in cooked pasta structure were determined regarding protein solubility, thermal properties of starch, microscopic and rheological measurements. Changes were moderate up to 70 °C and increased at higher temperatures and especially for VHT_LM drying.     

Synthesis,characterisation and in vitro digestibility of carboxymethyl potato starch rapidly prepared with microwave-assistance

Carboxymethyl potato starch was synthesised with the aid of microwave. Optimal degree of substitution (DS) of 0.32 was obtained at 45 °C in 25 min using aqueous ethanol media with water/solvent of 0.15 at 200 W. The molar ratio of sodium hydroxide and monochloroacetic acid to anhydroglucose unit for optimal DS were 2.5 and 1.0, respectively. FT-IR spectrometry revealed the carboxymethyl starch to show new bands at ν = 1614 cm⁻¹ and ν = 1429 cm⁻¹. Wide angle X-ray diffractometry and DSC revealed a remarkable reduction in starch crystallinity after carboxymethylation, which was consistent with destroyed surface observed in SEM. The digestibility of carboxymethyl starch (CMS) was lower than that of native starch. With similar DS, there was no difference in digestibility of carboxymethyl starch prepared with and without microwave. As DS increased from 0.05 to 0.32, the amount of resistant starch in microwave-assisted carboxymethyl starch was elevated from 14.6% to 20.0%, which was much higher than that of native starch (10.8%).     

Physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility of resistant starch from mung bean (Phaseolus radiatus) starch

RS from mung bean starch was prepared by autoclaving, pullulanase debranching, and retrogradation. Physicochemical properties, crystalline structure, and in vitro digestibility of selected RS samples with different RS content were investigated. Compared to native starch, AAM content of RS increased but MW decreased greatly. SEM clearly showed RS samples exhibited irregular shaped fragments with compact structure. XRD pattern indicated that RS samples had typical B‐type pattern with sharp peaks at 17.0°, 22.2°, and 23.9° 2θ. The relative crystallinity, gelatinization temperatures, and enthalpy increased with increasing RS content. The α‐amylase digestibility of RS was lower than that of native starch. The results suggested that the decrease in enzymatic digestion of RS might due to compact and ordered crystalline structures after debranching and recrystallization.     

Physicochemical, in vitro digestibility and functional properties of carboxymethyl rice starch cross-linked with epichlorohydrin

Cross-linked carboxymethyl rice starches (CL-CMRSs) were prepared from reactions between native rice starch and varied concentrations (0.1–15% w/w, M-0.1 to M-15) of epichlorohydrin (ECH) in a simultaneous carboxymethylation-crosslinking reaction setup using methanol as the solvent. The degree of carboxymethyl substitution was between 0.24 and 0.28, while apparent amylose contents were lowered due to modification. SEM images showed minor change on the granule surface, while XRD profiles indicated slight loss of crystallinity. DSC thermograms revealed no transition peak in all treated samples. The water uptake (WU), swelling volume (SV) and free swelling capacity (FSC) of CL-CMRSs increased significantly as a result of the modification, while swelling of CMRSs cross-linked with 2% (M-2) and 3% (M-3) ECH yielded FSC values and WU values that were much greater than those of native starches and were comparable to that of Explotab®. All modified starch samples showed increased amount of rapidly digestible starch (RDS), while cross-linking with 5–7.5% ECH raised the resistant starch (RS) content, compared to native starch. M-2 also showed promising results in tablet disintegration test. ECH–CL–CMRSs could potentially be used as an excipient in pharmaceutical and food/food supplement products.     

Temperature-dependent quality characteristics of pre-dehydrated cookies: Structure,browning, texture, in vitro starch digestibility,and the effect on blood glucose levels in mice

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the physical and biochemical properties of pre-dehydrated cookies baked at various temperatures. Cookie dough was vacuum-dried, and then baked at 120–180 °C for 18 min. All samples showed lower spread ratio than non-dehydrated cookie baked at 180 °C (control). Browning of the samples baked at 180 °C and 160 °C was higher than that of the control. In contrast, little browning was observed in the sample baked at 120 °C. The fracture force of samples baked at 140 °C and 120 °C agreed well with the control. From these results, the sample baked at 140 °C was employed for subsequent studies. In vitro starch digestibility suggested that the sample baked at 140 °C had higher slowly digestible starch content than the control. From postprandial blood glucose levels in mice, it was found that the sample significantly reduced the blood glucose peak observed at 30 min post-administration.     

Structure and physicochemical properties of palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L.) seed-shoot starch grown in Sri Lanka

Starch from palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L.) seed-shoot flour was isolated and its composition, morphology, structure and physicochemical properties were determined. The yield of starch was 38.4% on a whole flour basis. The shape of the granule ranged from round to elliptical. Bound lipid, total lipid, apparent amylose, total amylose and resistant starch contents were 0.03%, 0.04%, 30.9%, 32.7% and 32.2%, respectively. The X-ray pattern was of the A-type and relative crystallinity was 34.1%. Palmyrah starch exhibited a high proportion (31.8%) of short amylopectin chains (DP 6–12) and a low proportion (1.2%) of long amylopectin chains (DP > 36). Gelatinization temperatures were 73.1–82.0 °C and enthalpy of gelatinization was 13.6 J/g. Pasting temperature, viscosity breakdown and set-back were 76.5 °C, 147 and 74 BU, respectively. Palmyrah starch exhibited high granular swelling, and restricted amylose leaching. Susceptibility towards in vitro α-amylolysis and retrogradation was low. The results showed that physicochemical properties of palmyrah starch were largely influenced by strong interactions between amylose–amylose and/or amylose–amylopectin chains within the granule interior.     

Structural characterizations of waxy maize starch residue following in vitro pancreatin and amyloglucosidase synergistic hydrolysis

The objective of this work was to determine if in vitro digestion altered the molecular structure and slow digestion property of waxy maize starch. The Englyst testing on partially hydrolysis residual starches showed an increase of RDS accompanied a reduction of RS with increasing time of digestion, while SDS was almost constant. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the pattern of enzymatic hydrolysis was inside-out layer-by-layer digestion. A threefold decrease in the average molecular weight of starch components was observed after α-amylolysis for 120 min. There were increases in the onset temperature, peak temperature and ratio of absorbance 1047/1022 cm⁻¹, while the enthalpy of gelatinization, crystal structure, and crystallinity invaried. These changes suggest simultaneously enzymatic hydrolysis of both crystalline and amorphous regions of starch granule during in vitro digestion. SDS of starch residue also may consists of layered structure of amorphous and crystallite regions and located periphery of starch granules.     

Effect of heat-moisture treatment on the formation and physicochemical properties of resistant starch from mung bean (Phaseolus radiatus) starch

Mung bean starch was subjected to a range of heat-moisture treatments (HMT) based on different moisture contents (15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%) all heated at 120 °C for 12 h. The impact on the yields of resistant starch (RS), and the microstructure, physicochemical and functional properties of RS was investigated. Compared to raw starch, the RS content of HMT starch increased significantly, with the starch treated at 20% moisture having the highest RS content. After HMT, birefringence remained at the periphery of the granules and was absent at the center of some granules. The shape and integrity of HMT starch granules did not change but concavity was observed under scanning electronic microscopy. Apparent amylose contents of HMT starch increased and the HMT starch was dominated by high molecular weight fraction. Both the native and HMT starches showed A-type X-ray diffraction pattern. Relative crystallinity increased after HMT. The gelatinization temperatures (To, Tp, and Tc), gelatinization temperature range (Tc–To) and enthalpies of gelatinization (ΔH) increased significantly in HMT starch compared to native starch. The solubility increased but swelling power decreased in HMT starches. This study clearly shows that the HMT exhibited thermal stability and resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis owing to stronger interactions of starch chains in granule.