Highly branched corn starch: Preparation, encapsulation, and release of ascorbic acid

Area of Science:

• Food Science & Technology
• Biopolymer Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Ascorbic acid (AA) is a vital nutrient susceptible to degradation.
• Developing stable delivery systems for AA is crucial for food applications.
• Highly branched corn starch (HBCS) is explored as a novel encapsulation material.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare highly branched corn starch (HBCS) as a supporting carrier.
• To investigate the encapsulation efficiency of HBCS for ascorbic acid (AA).
• To evaluate the properties and release kinetics of AA encapsulated within HBCS.

Main Methods:

• Dual enzymatic modification of high amylose corn starch using α-amylase and glycogen branching enzyme.
• Characterization of HBCS structure, including α-1,6 linkage ratio and chain length distribution.
• Formation and confirmation of HBCS-AA inclusion complex using differential scanning calorimetry.
• Analysis of AA release kinetics and assessment of photostability and thermostability.

Main Results:

• HBCS preparation resulted in a 1.93% increase in α-1,6 linkages and a compact branched structure.
• Successful formation of HBCS-AA inclusion complex confirmed by DSC.
• AA release followed pseudo-Fickian diffusion and first-order kinetics.
• Enhanced photostability and thermostability of encapsulated AA.

Conclusions:

• HBCS is a promising highly branched carrier material.
• The study offers new insights into the preparation of wall materials for encapsulation.
• HBCS demonstrates potential for delivering ascorbic acid in food systems.