Complex of butyric acid with the amorphous region of starch granules via high-pressure processing

This study investigates the potential of high-pressure processing (HPP) to promote butyric acid entrapment within maize, pea, and potato starch granules. Starch treated at 600 MPa and 5 °C exhibited partial gelatinization and increased amorphous content, as confirmed by microscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Butyric acid was incorporated at 4.1 % (maize), 5.2 % (pea), and 4.8 % (potato) by dry weight, p < .05, with no evidence of ordered complexation structures in X-ray diffraction analysis. A broad DSC endothermic peak (102-145 °C) indicated continuous weak interactions. These findings suggest that HPP partially disrupts native starch architecture, enabling non-covalent interactions within amorphous domains. The resulting pressure-modified starches may function as delivery systems for short-chain fatty acids, offering potential applications in cold-gelatinizing starches and controlled-release formulations for bioactive compounds.