Inhibitory Effects of Green Tea Polyphenols on the Retrogradation of Starches from Different Botanical Sources

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the effects of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) on the retrogradation of potato, rice, and maize starches. Starch/GTPs mixing ratios were 2/0, 2/0.1, 2/0.2, and 2/0.3 (w/w) that equated with starch containing 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% GTPs (based on starch weight), respectively. The analytic samples had a water–starch/GTPs ratio of 2:1. The effects of GTPs on the retrogradation of these starches were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The analysis of DSC indicates that the temperature and enthalpy of gelatinization of all the tested starches decreased as the GTPs level increased. After storage at 4 °C, retrogradation enthalpy (ΔHret) for potato starches with 5%, 10%, and 15% GTPs appeared after 10 days of storage, however ΔHret for rice and maize starches with 10% and 15% GTPs did not appear until storage of 20 days, and both the ΔHret and degree of retrogradation of the three starches significantly decreased with the increased level of GTPs. After 10 days of storage at 4 °C, the analysis of XRD shows that the intensity of X-ray diffraction peaks of potato starch gradually decreased with the concentration of GTPs increasing, and rice and maize starch gels with 10% and 15% GTPs had almost no recrystallization of the retrogradation. It is concluded that the addition of GTPs considerably inhibits the retrogradation of rice, maize, and potato starches.