Analysis of the mechanism of starch gelatinization, disintegration and component interaction during roasting processing of Chinese traditional oat food

Chinese traditional oat food processing involves three times thermal treatment, with the first processing being high-temperature roasting to improve the processing quality. However, the mechanism by which roasting affects the starch structure and processing quality is not clear. Therefore, oat with different roasting time (0–20 min) was collected for in-depth structural analysis. The results showed that oat grains expanded, the flour color darkened, and the starch digestibility improved during roasting. Additionally, roasting improved the gelatinization characteristics of starch. Proper roasting (12 min) promoted the formation of starch-protein complex, while the starch was localized gelatinization without disintegrating, thereby improving the rheological properties and processing quality of oat flour . However, over-roasting (20 min) caused starch disintegration, released the lipids bound in the natural starch, destroyed the starch-protein covalent complex, and reduced the processing performance of oat food. Proper roasting (12 min) plays a crucial role in the processing of traditional oat food.