Effect of dry heat modification and the addition of Chinese quince seed gum on the physicochemical properties and structure of tigernut tuber starch

To expand industrial utilization of tigernut starch and meet the demand for industrial starch, the influence of dry heat treatment (130 °C for 2 h and 4 h, 7% moisture) on the functional properties and structure of tigernut starch alone and mixed with Chinese quince seed gum (1% w/w) was investigated. Modifying the starch significantly (p < 0.05) increased peak, trough and final viscosity, and reduced the swelling power and gelatinization enthalpy. In addition, the freeze–thaw stability and pseudoplastic flow were enhanced by this modification process. Microscopic and crystalline structure results indicate that dry heat treatment without gum destroys the surface and the internal crystals of the starch granules, but when gum was present, the granule becomes more resistant to dry-heating. Overall, the treatment with dry heat and the addition of Chinese quince seed gum improved the physicochemical properties of tigernut starch, in particular by increasing freeze–thaw stability and viscosity to expand the application of the starch in food industry.