Effect of electron beam irradiation on the hierarchical structure and physicochemical properties of starch isolated from oat grains

This study first investigated the impact of electron beam irradiation (EBI) on the texture and cooking characteristics of oat grains, with a particular emphasis on analyzing the properties of oat starch isolated from the EBI-treated grains. The findings indicated that EBI notably enhanced the soluble solids content in oat porridge broth, improved the morphological integrity of cooked oat grains, and reduced the hardness of cooked oat grains. Subsequently, starch was isolated from EBI-treated oat grains at each dose, followed by systematic analysis of its hierarchical structure and physicochemical properties. Results demonstrated that EBI did not markedly alter the surface morphology of oat starch, but it induced starch depolymerization, reduced the molecular weight and relative crystallinity, and disrupted the short-range ordered structure. These changes consequently enhanced the solubility, swelling power, and thermal stability of starch while reducing the gelatinization enthalpy and rheological properties. The correlation analysis results indicated that changes in the molecular weight, crystalline structure, short-range ordered structure, pasting properties, and solubility of oat starch might play a crucial role in enhancing the texture and cooking characteristics of EBI-treated oat grains. These results provide insights into how EBI regulates the texture and cooking characteristics of oat grains from the perspective of starch, laying a scientific foundation for applying EBI to oat grains in the food industry.