Wang Yi, Li Ruixuan, Yan Yijiao, Niu Wanyi, Wang Yue, Shen Mingyi, Wang Ruifang, Cheng Li
School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
Foods. 2025 Jun 27;14(13):2287. doi: 10.3390/foods14132287.
In this study, the effects of pregelatinization on the physicochemical properties of corn grits and the quality of cooked waxy corn wrapped in plant leaves were investigated. This investigation was conducted to address the issues of partial gelatinization and poor texture in corn grits when applied to food processing such as cooked waxy corn wrapped in plant leaves. After the corn grits were soaked at 55 °C, they were steamed for 30 min and dried at 45 °C (steam temperature maintained at 100 °C), reaching a gelatinization degree of 48.28%. The modified grits were characterized using Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze pasting properties, retrogradation behavior, crystallinity, molecular structure, and morphology. The results showed that pregelatinization significantly reduced setback viscosity (from 274.83 to 154.52 mPa·s), crystallinity (from 11.12% to 3.62%), and retrogradation tendency while improving solubility, swelling power, and water-holding capacity. When used in cooked waxy corn wrapped in plant leaves, pregelatinized grits enhanced the gelatinization degree (96.11%), texture (reduced hardness by 19.49%, increased chewiness and cohesiveness), and moisture retention during storage. The findings demonstrate that pregelatinization optimizes starch functionality, mitigates retrogradation, and improves the overall quality of traditional corn-based foods, providing a practical approach for industrial applications.
在本研究中，研究了预糊化对玉米糁理化性质以及植物叶包裹的糯玉米蒸煮品质的影响。开展这项研究是为了解决玉米糁在用于如植物叶包裹的糯玉米蒸煮等食品加工时出现的部分糊化和质地不佳的问题。将玉米糁在55℃下浸泡后，于100℃蒸汽温度下蒸30分钟并在45℃干燥，糊化度达到48.28%。使用快速粘度分析仪（RVA）、差示扫描量热法（DSC）、X射线衍射（XRD）、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）对改性后的玉米糁进行表征，以分析其糊化特性、回生行为、结晶度、分子结构和形态。结果表明，预糊化显著降低了回生粘度（从274.83降至154.52 mPa·s）、结晶度（从11.12%降至3.62%）和回生趋势，同时提高了溶解度、膨胀力和持水能力。当用于植物叶包裹的糯玉米蒸煮时，预糊化的玉米糁提高了糊化度（96.11%）、质地（硬度降低19.49%，咀嚼性和内聚性增加）以及储存期间的水分保持能力。研究结果表明，预糊化优化了淀粉功能，减轻了回生现象，并提高了传统玉米基食品的整体品质，为工业应用提供了一种实用方法。
