Phase behaviour and in vitro hydrolysis of wheat starch in mixture with whey protein

Network formation of whey protein isolate (WPI) with increasing concentrations of native wheat starch (WS) has been examined. Small deformation dynamic oscillation in shear and modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry enabled analysis of binary mixtures at the macro- and micromolecular level. Following heat induced gelation, textural hardness was measured by undertaking compression tests. Environmental scanning electron microscopy provided tangible information on network morphology of polymeric constituents. Experiments involving in vitro starch digestion also allowed for indirect assessment of phase topology in the binary mixture. The biochemical component of this work constitutes an attempt to utilise whey protein as a retardant to the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch in a model system with α-amylase enzyme. During heating, rheological profiles of binary mixtures exhibited dramatic increases in G′ at temperatures more closely related to those observed for single whey protein rather than pure starch. Results from this multidisciplinary approach of analysis, utilising rheology, calorimetry and microscopy, argue for the occurrence of phase separation phenomena in the gelled systems. There is also evidence of whey protein forming the continuous phase with wheat starch being the discontinuous filler, an outcome that is explored in the in vitro study of the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch.