Impact of Fatty Acid Types and Microwave Post-Treatment on the Physicochemical Properties of Water Caltrop Starch–Lipid Complexes

This study investigates the effects of microwave post-treatment and fatty acid type on the physicochemical properties of starch–lipid complexes derived from water caltrop (<i>Trapa taiwanensis</i> Nakai) starch. Complexes were prepared using stearic acid (C<sub>18:0</sub>) or...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pei-Chang Lee, Lih-Shiuh Lai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/13/2254
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study investigates the effects of microwave post-treatment and fatty acid type on the physicochemical properties of starch–lipid complexes derived from water caltrop (<i>Trapa taiwanensis</i> Nakai) starch. Complexes were prepared using stearic acid (C<sub>18:0</sub>) or oleic acid (C<sub>18:1</sub>), followed by microwave post-treatment at varying durations. Morphological analysis revealed that the starch–stearic acid complex exhibited more plate-like structures and birefringent spots compared to the starch–oleic acid complex. The complexing index increased with extended microwave exposure, indicating enhanced complex formation. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed no significant variation in the 1047/1022 cm<sup>−1</sup> absorption ratio, suggesting that the short-range molecular order remained unaffected. However, X-ray diffraction analysis indicated increased relative crystallinity, particularly in the stearic acid complex (10.4%) compared to the oleic acid complex (4.8%), likely due to the higher linearity and saturation of stearic acid. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the presence of both type I and type II crystallization in all samples. The starch–stearic acid complex exhibited greater thermal stability, promoted type II crystallization, and enhanced the ordered structure of type I crystallization. In contrast, microwave treatment had limited influence on the thermal properties of the starch–oleic acid complex. These findings demonstrate that microwave post-treatment facilitates starch–lipid complex formation and improves structural organization, particularly when saturated fatty acids are employed.
ISSN:2304-8158