Effects of superheated steam on starch structure and physicochemical properties of buckwheat flour during storage

Abstract This study showed that superheated steam (SS) processing could inhibit the changes in physicochemical properties of buckwheat during storage by altering the molecular structure of starch. The relationship between the molecular structure of starch (granular morphology, chain-length distribution, molecular weight, and long- and short-range structures) and the physicochemical properties (swelling power, water solubility, thermal properties and pasting properties) of flour and starch were investigated. The results showed that the water solubility, onset temperature (To), gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH), and pasting viscosity (peak, trough, and final) of untreated buckwheat flour decreased during storage, while the gelatinization temperature range (Tc–To) increased significantly (P