Insights into the relations between the molecular structures and physicochemical properties of normal and waxy wheat B-starch after repeated and continuous annealing

The effect of repeated annealing treatment (RANN) and continuous annealing treatment (CANN) on the structure, physicochemical properties and digestibility of wheat B-starch were studied. Annealing degraded the starch molecules, disrupted amylopectin and amylose structures, and decreased the molecular weight and the long chain of amylopectin. Meanwhile, the double helix structure and the crystalline and amorphous region were broken, the starch and water molecules were rearranged after RANN and CANN. As a result, annealing increased the crystallinity, gelatinisation temperature, resistant starch and slowly digestible starch content, while decreased the solubility, swelling power and pasting viscosity. The different changes of structural and physicochemical properties for normal and waxy B-starch upon annealing treatment were because of the different amylose contents and amylopectin chain mobility. The RANN exhibited greater advantages than CANN in the modification of the structural, physicochemical, and digestible properties of normal B-starch; while CANN significantly affected properties of waxy B-starch.