Radio frequency regulates the multi-scale structure and functional properties of starch from different genotypes of corn

The purpose of this study was to investigate the multi-scale structures, thermal, pasting, and textural properties of starch from different genotypes (dent and flint) of corn with varying moisture content (MC) (0.20, 0.25, and 0.30 kg kg-1 in dry basis) following radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. As the MC increased, the amylose content in dent and flint corn starch rose from 14.60% to 19.70% and 14.80% to 24.63%, respectively, after the hot air (HA)-RF treatment. With the increase in MC, the enhancement of starch-protein interaction and the change in starch molecule structure caused decreases in the crystallinity, short-range order structure, and enthalpy, while there were increases in the gelatinisation temperature, pasting viscosity, and textural properties of starch. The results showed that the RF treatment is an effective method for improving the processing performance of starch. Our data provide a foundation to expand the application of radio frequency in the food industry. Effects of HA-RF treatment on the multi-scale structure, gelatinisation, and textural properties of starch from different genotypes (dent and flint) of corn with different moisture contents. image