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Effect of ground corn steeping on starch properties

Abstract:

Pasting and thermal properties, and microstructure of starch from ground corn (GS) steeped at 52°C in sulphurous acid solution (0.20%) at different steep times (8, 16, 24, 32 and 40h) were investigated. The isolated starch obtained by wet milling was characterised by determining pasting properties in Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA), retrogradation enthalpy in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and microstructure of granules in light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Milling before steeping and long steep time caused reduction in peak, hot paste, cool paste, breakdown and setback viscosities. Steep time provoked an increase in the retrogradation temperatures (onset and peak), whereas no significant differences were found in retrogradation enthalpy. Microstructure characteristics analysed by SEM showed many cracks and cavities on surface in samples steeped 8h, whereas samples steeped 40h showed a great alteration and disruption of their inner layer. LM with polarised light confirmed that starches retained birefringence with several differences depending on the steep time. The use of ground kernels allowed a better steep solution-endosperm interaction, which caused changes in rheological, thermal and microstructural starch characteristics.