Electron beam irradiation regulates the structure and functionality of ball-milled corn starch: The related mechanism

The ball milling (BM), electron beam irradiation (EBI), the combination of them, and their effects on granules morphology, multiscale structure, physicochemical properties, and digestibility of corn starch are discussed in this paper. Both BM and EBI reduced crystallinity, amylopectin molecular weight (Mw), pasting viscosities, gelatinization temperatures, and resistant starch (RS) content, but increased amylose Mw and rapidly digestible starch content. BM treatment damages the starch granules, which makes them easier to attack by free radicals of subsequent EBI treatment. In addition, the BM pretreatment promoted starch chain depolymerization and crystalline structure destruction, reinforcing the joint effect of subsequent EBI treatment. Therefore, BM-EBI-starches exhibited lessened crystallinity, amylopectin Mw, pasting viscosities, gelatinization temperatures, enthalpy and RS content than native and single-treated starch. This paper would like to reference potential industrial applications of BM and EBI technologies to modify starch.