Microstructure of starch complexes coated with arabinoxylans and β-glucans: Effect on gelatinization and digestion...

Research has shown that the presence of a complete cell wall structure in the grain endosperm reduces the digestibility of grains (starch) in the human body. In this study, composite structures of diverse contents of arabinoxylan (AX) and β-glucan (BG) in combination with wheat starch were constructed to simulate the grid structure formed by the combination of starch granules wrapped within cell walls in the starch endosperm. The gel properties following gelatinization and aging of the complexes were analyzed using rheology, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray scanning, and infrared spectroscopy. Based on this, the differences in the in vitro digestion process of starch complexes were investigated, and the digestion mechanism was explored to offer a theoretical basis for the development of starch-based foods with a low glycemic index. The synergistic effect of AX and BG was found to promote the entanglement and aggregation of molecules, AX and BG inhibits the gelatinization of starch. AX/BG (10 % blend proportion) significantly inhibited starch digestion in the starch complexes, with the lowest hydrolysis rate (76.7 %), which may be because AX and BG wrap the starch particles effectively.