Recent Advances in Lotus Seed Starch: Multiscale Structure, Tailored Modification, and Innovative Applications

Lotus seeds represent a valuable botanical resource with dual roles in traditional food and medicinal applications. As the major constituent of lotus seeds, starch possesses unique physicochemical and multiscale structural characteristics that confer significant potential for high-value applications. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the multiscale structure and physicochemical properties of lotus seed starch. Modification technologies were developed to address the inherent limitations of native lotus seed starch. Existing studies demonstrate that physical, chemical, and enzymatic modifications can precisely tailor the digestive properties, gelation behavior, and processability of lotus seed starch. Furthermore, such modifications have enabled novel applications in fields including prebiotic ingredients, edible packaging, biomedical carriers, and low-GI foods. Future research should prioritize environmentally benign and precisely controlled modification strategies, as well as the elucidation of the material-structure-function relationships, thereby ultimately facilitating the industrialization of novel applications of lotus seed starch. Collectively, these advances are expected to facilitate the high-value utilization of this underutilized starch resource, and to serve as a valuable reference for the broader industrialization of non-conventional starch resources.