Encapsulation of flavor compounds as helical inclusion complexes of starch

Abstract

Inclusion complexes between starch and flavor compounds are of great interest in food science as they influence the retention and release of flavor in food systems. Starch is a mixture of the glucose polymers, amylose and amylopectin. Amylose, the linear chain is mainly responsible for the complex formation, while amylopectin, the highly branched component of starch, can also form complexes with certain types of guest molecules. In the presence of flavor compounds, amylose changes from a double helix to a single helix, forming a helical structure that has a hydrophobic cavity and a hydrophilic exterior enabling it to form inclusion complexes. The flavor molecules are included within the cavity, in between the helices, or in both locations, depending on the structure of the molecules. It has been suggested that amylose inclusion complexes can be used in the food industry to prevent the loss of volatile or labile flavoring materials during processing and storage because the complexes are markedly resistant to high temperature and oxidation. Furthermore, the release of the complexes can be controlled by a-amylase enzyme hydrolysis and changes in the moisture content and temperature. © 2013 American Chemical Society.