Role of Plant Proteins in Altering the Physicochemical Characteristics of Wheat Starch-Lauric Acid System

The study explored the impact of cashew (CP), quinoa (QP), and flaxseed proteins (FP) on the properties and structure of wheat starch-lauric acid (WS-LA) system using rapid viscosity analyzer (RVA), rheology, texture analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The study found that LA promoted the formation of V-type WS-LA complexes, enhanced the short-range order and relative crystallinity of WS, and disrupted its gel network, leading to a decrease in tan δ of WS. Proteins (CP, QP, and FP) further decreased tan δ and increased the cooled peak viscosity of WS-LA system due to the formation of WS-LA-protein complexes with high relative crystallinity. Proteins prompted WS-LA gels to form a denser, more compact three-dimensional network that physically entrapped WS granules within a continuous lipid-protein matrix, which reduced starch digestibility in vitro compared to WS-LA system. This study offered guidance for incorporating protein into starch-based foods with reduced digestibility.