Effects of inulin with different degree of polymerization on gelatinization and retrogradation of wheat starch

- Inulin increased gelation temperature and decreased the peak viscosity and breakdown.
- Three types of inulin all retarded the short-term retrogradation of wheat starch.
- Inulin inhibits amylose retrogradation and accelerates amylopectin retrogradation.
- Inulin with lower DP has stronger effects on the starch retrogradation.

The effects of three types of inulin, including FS (DP ≤ 10), FI (DP of 2-60) and FXL (DP ≥ 23), on the gelatinization and retrogradation characteristics of wheat starch were investigated. As the concentration of inulin added into starch increased, the gelatinization temperature increased whereas the breakdown value decreased, and the value of setback first decreased and then increased slightly. The three types of inulin with lower concentrations (<15%) all showed obvious suppression effects on the short-term retrogradation of wheat starch. After 7 days of storage, the three types of inulin showed a significant suppression of starch retrogradation in the addition range of 5-7.5%. They can all inhibit amylose retrogradation, but accelerate amylopectin retrogradation. Inulin with lower DP has stronger effects on the starch retrogradation. Generally, the three types of inulin can all retard the retrogradation performance of wheat starch to some extent in the long-term storage.