Effect of Tribomechanical Micronisation and Activation Treatment on Textural and Thermophysical Properties of Wheat and Potato Starch Gels

Verica Batur¹, Selma Mededovic Thagard², Anet Režek Jambrak¹, Tomislava Vukušić¹ and Zoran Herceg¹*

¹Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
²Clarkson University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY 13699-5705, USA

Article history:
Received July 20, 2012
Accepted February 8, 2013

Key words:
wheat starch, potato starch, tribomechanical micronisation and activation, textural properties, thermophysical properties

Summary:                                                                                                                                                                                 
The aim of this study is to determine various textural properties of heat-induced gels prepared from wheat and potato starch suspensions (10 %) treated with tribomechanical micronisation and activation (TMA). Particle size measurements showed that the TMA treatment caused a significant decrease in particle size and change in particle size distribution of powdered starches. Scanning electron microphotographs showed an obvious impact on the structure and size of starch granules. The effect of TMA treatment on the texture profile of wheat and potato starch gels was assessed by measuring their textural properties, such as hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, springiness and gumminess. The texture profile analyses of the TMA-treated wheat and potato starch gels showed lower hardness and gumminess; however, adhesiveness, cohesiveness and springiness were higher when compared with untreated suspensions. TMA treatment caused no significant lowering of the initial gelatinization temperatures. Results of differential scanning calorimetry measurements showed a decrease in the enthalpy of gelatinization. This can be explained by the disruption of starch granules by mechanical forces during the TMA treatment, which made the granules more permeable to water during the heating step of differential scanning calorimetry analysis.

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