Gelatinization and Retrogradation of Starch Affected by Green Modification in Cereal-Based Foods

Dear Colleagues,

Starch is one of the most abundant storage carbohydrates in nature, which  provides an important source for the human body’s daily energy intake. Due to its natural, renewable, biodegradable and inexpensive, starch is often used as a stabilizer, gelling agent, thickener and water retention agent in food, materials and other industries. However, the natural starches has some problems such as easy retrogradation after starch gelatinization, low solubility, or high shear behavior, which limit their industrial applications. Physical modification of starch, enzyme  modification and/or modification by using hydrophilic colloids (e.g., plant gums and polysaccharides) are  green approaches that can significantly improve the functional properties of natural starches, such as starch texture and gelatinization properties. Compared with the chemical modification, these green modification methods are environmentally friendly and easier application in food processing. Green modification methods have become a research hotspot and have recently received increasing attention. During those green modification methods, the gelatinization and retrogradation are the most important process to affect the starch modification efficiency, and to reveal the functional properties of starch in plant-derived foods, which can expand the application of starch in food and other industries.

The theme of this Special Issue is the effect of green modification on the functional properties, and, in particular, the gelatinization and retrogradation of starch in foods. In this Special Issue the specific topics will be: 

(1) New in-situ method to study the gelatinization and retrogradation of starches;

(2) Effect of physical modification, hydrophilic colloids or enzyme on the gelatinization and retrogradation of starches;

(3) Effect of physical modification, hydrophilic colloids or enzyme on the texture and digestion properties of starch-based food;

(4) The interaction of starch with other main components during gelatinization and retrogradation processing to affect the food quality and functionality.

Prof. Dr. Sen Ma
Dr. Huamin Liu
Prof. Dr. Xingxun Liu
Guest Editors

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