Comparative study of the effects of high hydrostatic pressure on physicochemical, thermal, and structural properties of maize, potato, and sweet potato starches

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP, 100, 300, and 500 MPa for 15 and 30 min at 25°C) on physicochemical, thermal, and structural properties of maize, potato, and sweet potato starches (20%, w/w) were investigated. Amylose and damaged starch contents of all three starches were increased, but their solubility and swelling power were decreased after HHP treatment. Thermal properties of maize starch were significantly different from those of potato and sweet potato starches. Maize starch treated at 500 MPa was completely gelatinized with larger particle sizes and exhibited lower pasting properties than potato and sweet potato starches. The crystalline pattern of maize and potato starches was changed from A to B and B to B + V at 500 MPa, respectively, whereas that of sweet potato starch was still C-type. HHP modified starches might be taken into consideration for starch-based food with high quality. Practical applications This study is focusing on the use of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), one novel non-thermal technology, for the modification of three different botanical starches. The present study aims to investigate the comparative effects of HHP treatment on the amylose and damaged starch content, solubility and swelling power, thermal properties, pasting properties, crystallinity, chemical group, and microstructural changes in maize, potato, and sweet potato starches. The results of this work provide a potential application of HHP modified starches in starch-based food with good quality and nutritional value, and the modification caused by HHP can have a tremendous impact on the processing and preservation of starch-based food matrices for large scale quality production by the food industry.