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Starch Structure and Function in the Context of Functional Foods Development

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Grain".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2026) | Viewed by 1141

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Interests: carbohydrate polymers; carbohydrate chemistry; food chemistry; food science and technology; carbohydrate biochemistry; chromatography; carbohydrates food

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Guest Editor
Department of Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Interests: food & nutrition; food rheology; starch

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Starch, a major source of dietary carbohydrates, is crucial for food texture, stability, and nutritional value. While extensive research exists on the basic properties of starch, there is a pressing need for more in-depth studies on its multi-scale structure, interactions with other food components, and modification methods, particularly in the context of functional food development. Understanding the structure–function relationships in starch is essential for developing functional foods with enhanced benefits, such as optimal gelatinization and retrogradation properties, delayed digestion, controlled glycemic response, and prolonged satiety. This Issue invites innovative research and comprehensive reviews that explore how modifications to starch can enhance its functionality, improve nutritional profiles, and contribute to health-promoting foods. We encourage studies that examine the impact of processing techniques on starch structure and properties, aiming to optimize its applications in functional foods. Additionally, special interest will be given to different types of functional starch, such as resistant starch, which offers unique health benefits. By focusing on these advancements, this Special Issue seeks to provide valuable insights into the role of starch in driving the future of functional food development, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes and dietary innovations.

Dr. Jiayue Guo
Dr. Lingyan Kong
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • starch structure
  • starch function
  • functional foods
  • digestibility
  • nutritional profiles
  • processing techniques

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 11374 KB  
Article
Structural Reconstruction and Enhanced Digestive Resistance in High-Amylose Maize Starch–Fatty Acid Complexes via Debranching and Heat–Moisture Treatment
by Qianhan Ma, Ziyan Zang, Shuling Yan, Bo Han, Siyuan Liu, Xiaoyu Wang, Yao Hu, Hao Xu, Pengjie Wang and Jiayue Guo
Foods 2026, 15(5), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15050907 - 6 Mar 2026
Viewed by 499
Abstract
The development of thermally stable Type 5 resistant starch (RS5) is critical for functional food applications to modulate glycemic responses. This study investigated the structural assembly and enzymatic resistance of RS5 complexes prepared from high-amylose maize starch (HAMS) via a sequential strategy coupling [...] Read more.
The development of thermally stable Type 5 resistant starch (RS5) is critical for functional food applications to modulate glycemic responses. This study investigated the structural assembly and enzymatic resistance of RS5 complexes prepared from high-amylose maize starch (HAMS) via a sequential strategy coupling pullulanase debranching with heat–moisture treatment (HMT). HAMS was debranched for varying durations (0–24 h) to generate short, linear glucan chains, subsequently complexed with myristic acid (MA) or linoleic acid (LOA), and further modified by pressure–heat treatment (PHT) or annealing (ANN). Extended debranching (24 h) significantly enhanced the complexing index and resistant starch (RS) content. While saturated MA promoted higher crystallinity of the hexagonal Bravais lattice, unsaturated LOA effectively enhanced resistance through steric hindrance despite lower crystallinity. Notably, PHT generally outperformed ANN, with the highest RS content (69.2%) achieved in DH24-LOA complexes treated at 120 °C with 10% moisture. Multi-scale structural analyses revealed that resistance originated from the transition of amorphous chains into highly ordered, thermally stable nanocrystals possessing a hexagonal Bravais lattice and the densification of the macroscopic architecture. These findings demonstrate that coupling pullulanase debranching with optimized PHT is a potent strategy to engineer high-performance RS5 ingredients with superior digestive resistance. Full article
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