Effects of three hydrophilic colloids on gelatinization, retrogradation properties, microstructure of highland barley starch and the quality of highland barley noodles

The impact of xanthan gum (XG), sodium alginate (ALG), and carrageenan (CGN) on the gelatinization, rejuvenation, microstructure, and noodle quality of highland barley was investigated. The XG-HBS mixture demonstrated superior dilatancy, gelatinization viscosity, and dynamic moduli compared to ALG and CGN, suggesting that XG enhances starch water absorption and swelling. Furthermore, LF-NMR results indicated that hydrophilic colloids reduced T 23 and increased T 22 , signifying a shift from free water to bound water, this also indicates that the hydrophilic colloids can inhibit the formation and long-term regeneration of short-range ordered structures. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that XG resulted in a denser network structure than the other samples. Furthermore, XG, ALG, and CGN reduced cooking loss and improved noodle hardness. These findings underscore that incorporating hydrophilic colloids is an effective strategy to enhance the quality of highland barley starch and improve highland barley-based pasta products.