Synergistic high-pressure homogenization-ultrasound modification of wheat starch-linoleic acid complexes: Structure,...

Wheat starch-linoleic acid (WS-LA) complex is a type 5 resistant starch (RS5) with potential for developing low glycemic index (GI) foods enriched in ω-6 fatty acids. In this study, WS-LA complexes were prepared via high-pressure homogenization (HPH, 100 MPa, 0, 3, 5, 10 cycles) and subsequently ultrasound-treated (UT, 600 W, 10 min), yielding the UT (0 cycles), HPH-UT3, HPH-UT5, and HPH-UT10 samples. The formation of V-type inclusion complexes was confirmed by XRD and solid-state NMR. Among all complexes, the HPH-UT5 sample exhibited the best slow digestion performance, with RS content increasing from 10.54% (native starch) to 18.05%, and the slowly digestible starch content reaching the maximum of 16.60% (p < 0.05). In addition to its nutritional benefits, the HPH-UT10 sample demonstrated potential as a starch-based Pickering stabilizer, with emulsions showing no phase separation over 28 days at room temperature. Overall, the HPH-UT sequence offers an effective strategy for preparing RS5 with enhanced resistant starch content and emulsion-stabilizing capability, providing a promising route toward low-GI foods enriched with ω-6 fatty acids.