Intact endosperm cells in buckwheat flour limit starch gelatinization and digestibility in vitro.

The objective of this study was to determine the biophysical properties of buckwheat (BW) endosperm and their influences on detachment of intact cells, starch gelatinization and digestibility. The intact cells were isolated from BW kernels by dry milling and sieving. The microscopy and texture analysis showed intact endosperm cells could be detached easily due to the fragile structure and low hardness of BW endosperm. More than 70% intact cells were found in commercial light flour. The starch granules entrapped in intact cells exhibited a delay gelatinization and restricted swelling behavior (2-3 â„ƒ higher onset gelatinization temperature than isolated starch). Starch in BW flour had a markedly lower extent of digestion compared to the broken cells and isolated starch. This study provided a new mechanistic understanding of low glycemic index of BW food, and could guide the processing of BW flour to retain slow digestion properties.

Structure and pasting properties of alkaline-treated phosphorylated cross-linked waxy maize starches.

The objectives of this study were to determine the stability of cross-linked bonds of starch at different pH values and their effects on the pasting property of waxy maize starch cross-linked by 0.05% and 3% sodium trimetaphosphate/sodium tripolyphosphate. The cross-linked waxy maize starch (CLWMS) was slurried (40%, w/w) and subjected to alkali treatments of pH 9, 10, 11, and 12 at 40°C for 4h. The phosphorus in 3% CLWMS decreased with increasing pH and remained unchanged in 0.05% CLWMS for all pH treatments. Decreased settling volumes indicated the reduction of swelling power for the alkali-treated CLWMS at pH 11 and 12. The (31)P NMR spectra of 3% CLWMS at pH 12 showed decreased cyclic monostarch phosphate, monostarch monophosphate, and monostarch diphosphate, but significantly increased distarch monophosphate. Alkali treatments of phosphorylated cross-linked starches offer a way to manipulate the rheological properties of cross-linked starch for desired food applications.

Structural changes from native waxy maize starch granules to cold-water-soluble pyrodextrin during thermal treatment.

The structural changes occurring during the thermal conversion of insoluble native waxy maize starch granules to cold-water-soluble pyrodextrin under acidic conditions have been investigated by multiple techniques, including synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography. In a mixture of water/glycerol (20/80, w/w), the SAXS characteristic peak at ca. 0.6 nm(-1) decreased in intensity as pyrodextrin solubility increased. The peak disappeared as pyrodextrin solubility reached 100%. Starch crystal size, its associated melting enthalpy, and pyrodextrin molecular size decreased as solubility increased. Although starch structure changed during thermal conversion, the pyrodextrins appeared identical to the native starch when observed in glycerol under a normal and polarized light microscope. It is proposed that the starch backbone is hydrolyzed by acid in the amorphous region and the crystalline region with starch molecules being hydrolyzed into small molecular fractions but persisting in a radial arrangement.

Preparation, structure, and digestibility of crystalline A- and B-type aggregates from debranched waxy starches.

Highly crystalline A- and B-type aggregates were prepared from short linear α-1,4 glucans generated from completely debranched waxy maize and waxy potato starches by manipulating the chain length and crystallization conditions including starch solids concentration and crystallization temperature. The A-type crystalline products were more resistant to enzyme digestion than the B-type crystalline products, and the digestibility of the A- and B-type allomorphs was not correlated with the size of the aggregates formed. Annealing increased the peak melting temperature of the B-type crystallites, making it similar to that of the A-type crystallites, but did not improve the enzyme resistance of the B-type crystalline products. The possible reason for these results was due to the compact morphology as well as the denser packing pattern of double helices in A-type crystallites. Our observations counter the fact that most B-type native starches are more enzyme-resistant than A-type native starches. Crystalline type per se does not seem to be the key factor that controls the digestibility of native starch granules; the resistance of native starches with a B-type X-ray diffraction pattern is probably attributed to the other structural features in starch granules.

Wheat bran particle size influence on phytochemical extractability and antioxidant properties.

It is unknown if particle size plays a role in extracting health promoting compounds in wheat bran because the extraction of antioxidant and phenolic compounds with particle size reduction has not been well documented. In this study, unmilled whole bran (coarse treatment) was compared to whole bran milled to medium and fine treatments from the same wheat bran. Antioxidant properties (capacity, ability, power), carotenoids and phenolic compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins) were measured and compared. The ability of whole bran fractions of differing particle size distributions to inhibit free radicals was assessed using four in vitro models, namely, diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity, ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and total antioxidant capacity. Significant differences in phytochemical concentrations and antioxidant properties were observed between whole bran fractions of reduced particle size distribution for some assays. The coarse treatment exhibited significantly higher antioxidant properties compared to the fine treatment; except for the ORAC value, in which coarse was significantly lower. For soluble and bound extractions, the coarse treatment was comparatively higher in total antioxidant capacity (426.72 mg ascorbic acid eq./g) and FRAP value (53.04 µmol FeSO4/g) than bran milled to the finer treatment (314.55 ascorbic acid eq./g and 40.84 µmol FeSO4/g, respectively). Likewise, the fine treatment was higher in phenolic acid (7.36 mg FAE/g), flavonoid (206.74 µg catechin/g), anthocyanin (63.0 µg/g), and carotenoid contents (beta carotene, 14.25 µg/100 g; zeaxanthin, 35.21 µg/100 g; lutein 174.59 µg/100 g) as compared to the coarse treatment. An increase of surface area to mass increased the ORAC value by over 80%. With reduction in particle size, there was a significant increase in extracted anthocyanins, carotenoids and ORAC value. Particle size does effect the extraction of phytochemicals.