A Comprehensive Review on the Structure, Formation, and Multidimensional Characterization of Starch–Guest Inclusion Complexes

Starch inclusion complexes (ICs) have a crucial influence on food processing and human health by reducing the rate of enzymatic digestion and maintaining glucose homeostasis, offering benefits for individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes. Therefore, starch ICs have become a promising approach in the fields of food science and pharmacology. This review explores the formation and structure of starch ICs and provides a comprehensive comparison of various composite methods in making starch ICs in terms of efficiency, cost, target material types, and application scope. It also discusses multidimensional characterization techniques that assess the multiscale structure, thermal properties, and digestibility of starch ICs. Finally, insights are raised for the future research direction of starch ICs, highlighting the need for improved orderliness and controllability in the final product structure of starch ICs, which remains an area needing further exploration.