Abstract
This study analyzed changes in the starch structures and in vitro digestion profiles of a specific maize cultivar, Jike 728 (JK728), in Jilin, China, after 0–5 days of germination. The total starch, amylose, and amylopectin contents decreased significantly during germination. The average molecular weight of the starch compounds also decreased significantly during germination. The proportion of amylopectin with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 13–24 significantly decreased, while the relative abundance of amylopectin with DP values of 6–12, 25–36, and 37–60 significantly increased. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of all samples were characteristic of A‐type starch, and the starch relative crystallinity decreased over time. The proportions of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch decreased significantly, while the proportion of rapidly digestible starch increased significantly during germination. Germination is an easy, inexpensive, and low‐carbon processing method. This study indicates that germination is an effective way to control the physical properties and digestibility of starch in maize. The changes observed in the physical properties and digestibility of maize starch after germination provide scientists with a platform to understand starch modification mechanisms that might have potential applications on an industrial scale.
Highlights
The corn plant maize (Zea mays L.) is a member of the Gramineae family
We systematically explored the total starch, amylose, and amylopectin contents, the morphological changes in the starch granules, the molecular weight of starch, the distribution of amylopectin branch chains, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, starch relative crystallinity, and the changes in rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS), and resistant starch (RS) contents during 0–5 days of maize germination
The maize kernels were screened to remove nonplump specimens; 4,000 g of kernels were soaked in a 0.1% NaClO solution (8 L) for 30 min and rinsed with deionized water
Summary
The corn plant maize (Zea mays L.) is a member of the Gramineae family. Maize is rich in nutrients and is composed of 8% protein, 0.8% fat, 79.2% carbohydrates, and 14.4% dietary fiber. Maize is rich in vitamins and mineral elements. Maize is an important feed source in the animal husbandry and aquaculture sectors and is an indispensable raw material in relation to food, healthcare, and chemical industries. There is a high starch content (70%) in maize. Maize starch plays an important role in the maize processing industry
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