Improvement of Properties of Chestnut Starch Gels Using Dual Effects: Combination of the Mesona chinensis Benth Polysaccharide and Sodium Chloride

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide In this study, chestnut starch (CS) and Mesona chinensis Benth polysaccharide (MCP) were extracted from chestnut and M. chinensis Benth, respectively. The effects of MCP and NaCl on the physicochemical and morphological properties of MCP-modified CS gels and the stability of NaCl-modified CS-MCP gels during gelatinization were evaluated. The results showed that the pasting viscosity and viscoelasticity of CS increased with increasing MCP and NaCl. With the addition of MCP and NaCl, the thermal stability of CS became higher. The Fourier transform infrared spectra results showed that no covalent interactions were formed between CS and MCP, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed that MCP and NaCl reduced the spin relaxation time of CS. Furthermore, MCP and NaCl improved the microstructure of gels, and MCP made it regular. These results indicated that MCP and NaCl could be used as an additive for improving gel properties, which would improve their potential applications and provide important information for the development of starch-based food.