Structural and functional properties of chestnut starch based on high-pressure homogenization

This study aimed to investigate the effect of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) with different pressures, cycles, and starch concentrations on the functional and structural characteristics of chestnut starch. Results showed that the structures of the subcrystalline zone and amorphous region could be destroyed by increasing the pressure for 1 cycle, leading to improved functional properties. Compared with the untreated, the solubility and swelling power of chestnut starch were significantly enhanced by approximately 53.01–86.02% and 64.54–79.50%, the aging value was 48.62–99.00% lower than the original starch, and the transparency increased by 8.55–25.51%. Furthermore, as the cycles increased, the crystal zone structure of starch was damaged. The crystallinity significantly decreased by 28.66–45.60%, compared with the original starch, with particle distribution tending to be uneven and the average particle size decreased by 17.50–90.02%. Besides, solubility, swelling power and transparency could be improved by increasing concentration during HPH.