Effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1 fermentation on multi-scale structure and physicochemical properties of barley starch

The effects of fermentation on barley starch were studied using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1. Changes in multi-scale structure and physicochemical properties of barley starch were studied. The chain structure results revealed that fermentation could increase the content of short chain and medium short chain by breaking down long amylopectin side chains in barley and increase amylose content by debranching amylopectin. Also, fermentation promoted the arrangement of short chains into short order structure, leading to the enhancement of hydrogen bond interaction. Furthermore, it improved the helical structure content and relative crystallinity of barley starch by degrading the amorphous structure of barley starch. In terms of physicochemical properties, fermentation inhibited the hydration characteristics of barley starch, thus improving its thermal stability. It also enhanced shear stability, resistance to short-term aging and digestion, and improved gel texture properties. These findings offer potential for the processing and nutritional regulation of fermented barley products.