Complexation between High-Amylose Starch and Binary Aroma Compounds of Decanal and Thymol: Cooperativity or Competition?

The use of combinations of aroma compounds is common in many food and cosmetic applications. To investigate the binding behavior between high-amylose maize starch and binary aroma combinations of decanal and thymol, starch–aroma inclusion complexes (ICs) were prepared by a one-step or two-step method with different concentrations and orders of addition. The thymol molecule induced the starch chain to form a larger helical cavity and was more likely to form hydrogen bonds with solvents. The encapsulation efficiency and loading efficiency of starch–thymol ICs were always higher than those of starch–decanal ICs, independent of the aroma concentration and addition order in binary aroma ICs. However, starch–decanal ICs prepared in the presence of thymol encapsulated more decanal than in the absence of thymol. The V6I-type crystals formed by starch–decanal ICs and the V6III-type crystals formed by starch–thymol ICs were both present in binary aroma ICs, resulting in a less-ordered structure and lower thermal transition temperatures. In summary, the complexation between binary aroma compounds and starch exhibited both cooperative and competitive binding behaviors. The synergistic effects between decanal and thymol provide guidance in enhancing the aroma encapsulation in starch carriers.