Esterified starches enhance short-term satiety in mice via structural and physicochemical alterations

Starch is the main carbohydrate in the human diet, of which resistant starch (RS) has positive effects on satiety. This study examined the impact of esterified starch with varying degrees of substitution on short-term satiety in mice. Three forms of esterified starch were investigated: phosphorylated starch (SP), acetylated starch (SA), and octenylsuccinic acid starch (OSA). The findings showed that esterified starch increased the RS content by altering the short-range ordered structure. Additionally, esterification modification increased chewiness and viscosity, thereby delaying gastric emptying. Esterified starch stabilized the postprandial blood glucose concentration and increased the secretion of GLP-1 in mice, thereby generating short-term satiety effects, particularly in the SP-8%, SA-8%, and OSA-3% groups. The short-range ordered structure of starch significantly affects the 4-hour intake of mice. The phosphorylation modification exhibited the highest content of RS and the most pronounced effect in reducing postprandial fluctuations in blood glucose concentration, whereas the acetylation modification resulted in the highest increase in GLP-1 concentration. This study lays a theoretical foundation for the production and application of high-satiety foods.