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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303029
Title: Effects of corn fiber gum (CFG) on the pasting and thermal behaviors of maize starch

Author
item QIU, SHUANG - Agricultural University Of China
item Yadav, Madhav
item CHEN, HOA - China Agricultural University
item LIU, YAN - China Agricultural University
item TATSUMI, EIZO - Ministry Of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries
item YIN, LIJUN - China Agricultural University

Submitted to: Carbohydrate Polymers
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/13/2014
Publication Date: 9/6/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60406
Citation: Qiu, S., Yadav, M.P., Chen, H., Liu, Y., Tatsumi, E., Yin, L. 2014. Effects of corn fiber gum (CFG) on the pasting and thermal behaviors of maize starch. Carbohydrate Polymers. 115:246-252.

Interpretive Summary: Corn fiber is a byproduct from US corn milling industries. It is an abundant low value material used for animal feed. Previously we showed that corn fiber could be converted to corn fiber gum (CFG). We now report that the addition of CFG to starch improves its texture. CFG is a natural dietary fiber and its addition to starch increases its nutritional value and it also helps prevent colon cancer. CFG can also protect starch granules during cooking and retain moisture to make the final food products more appealing to consumers. Many processed foods contain some kind of thickener, stabilizer and gelling agent and this CFG composite with starch has a potential to be used for these applications. Viscosity is one of the most widely used properties in food applications. In this respect, these CFG composite can be used in foods where oil or fat content has to be reduced. CFG has a great effect on the viscosity of other carbohydrate polymers, so its mixture with starch can control the viscosity of the food system, which in turn helps to replace fat or oil in the final products. Such properties may also enable it to be used as a low calorie replacement for carbohydrate additives used as thickeners, flavor carriers and suspension stabilizers in a wide variety of food products. These findings will benefit U. S. corn processors by adding value and creating additional market for their by-products. It will also benefit U. S. manufacturers of CFG who will be able to produce a constant supply of very superior thickeners at reasonable prices. The generation and recovery of additional valuable products from corn milling by-products will also indirectly help to reduce overall cost of fuel ethanol produced from corn kernels.

Technical Abstract: Corn fiber gum (CFG) is a novel arabinoxylan hydrocolloid. Recent research showed its considerable potential in food processing. In this study, the interactions of maize starch and CFG were studied. Maize starch/CFG blend gels were prepared from maize starch suspension mixed with 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0% CFG. Compared to the reference, CFG addition contributed to smaller peak viscosity and breakdown, but larger final viscosity in RVA measurement. The swelling power and the amount of leached amylose of maize starch gels were reduced as the concentration of CFG increased. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) confirmed the changes in gel microstructure caused by CFG addition to starch. Small changes were observed in the thermal characteristics of maize starch/CFG mixtures as determined by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating process, but these were not statistically significant. An increasing concentration of CFG in the CFG-maize starch mixture improved its viscoelastic properties.