Location: Potato, Pulse and Small Grains Quality Research
Project Number: 3060-21650-002-076-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2026
End Date: Dec 31, 2027
Objective:
The objectives are to: 1) Develop gelling agents by controlling the crystallization of linear chains from enzymatically debranched pea starch; 2) Study the gelling properties of debranched pea starch products; 3) Produce resistant starch (RS) with distinct crystalline structures and morphology including crystalline aggregates and spherulites; 4) Prepare bread rich in RS and assess its sensory properties; 5) Evaluate in vitro digestibility of RS products, and bread containing RS; 6) Conduct ex vivo fermentation of RS-enriched bread to examine its effects on gut microbiome and prebiotic potential.
Approach:
This project aims to create innovative pea starch-based products with enhanced functional and nutritional properties. Researchers will use enzyme technology and physical processes to develop gelling agents and RS products from pea starch. Those products will be considered clean-label ingredients. Pea starch is unique because its amylose content is higher than normal wheat, corn, tapioca, and potato starches but lower than high-amylose maize. Debranched pea starches with no or low crystallinity will be developed that will offer unique gel properties. Moreover, debranched pea starches will be developed with different physical structures (e.g. different crystallinities), producing gelling agents with a range of gel properties for making foods with different textures. A novel approach using an aqueous process to produce new starch spherulites with unique morphology and controlled enzyme digestibility from pea starch will be used. The information gained in this work will be useful in commercialization of those starch spherulites and RS products with great thermal stability.