Effect of ball milling treatment on technological performance of starch: impact of processing parameters on the botanical origin

Starch, a ubiquitous polysaccharide, finds extensive use in the food industry as a functional ingredient. Native starch undergoes extensive chemical or physical modifications to overcome technological limitations, enhancing its applicability in the food sector and facilitating the development of innovative ingredients. Ball milling (BM) is a green technology that, in recent times, has shown potential applications to induce the structural modifications and alter the molecular interactions of biomolecules. The study aimed to assess the impact of BM and its processing parameters on the functionality of native starches from different botanical sources Corn, potato, and wheat starches underwent ball milling treatment (BMT) for varying duration (5-30 min at a constant speed (350 rpm) to assess impact on functionality (water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC), swelling power (SP), and cold- water solubility (CWS), particle size distribution (PSD), thermal and structural properties. Thermoset hydrogels from both native and BM starches were made and evaluated for rheological properties (storage modulus, G'), loss modulus, G"), and tan δ). The functional properties were significantly affected by BMT, with a positive correlation to the treatment time except for OAC. BM potato starch exhibited a threefold higher CWS than other varieties, while corn starch demonstrated increased WHC (P < 0.05). BM treatment caused an increased granule size due to agglomeration. Contrarily, all the BM starches yielded a lower gelatinization temperature and enthalpy compared to their native counterparts, attributed to a reduced starch granule crystallinity. The rheological evaluation indicated a weakened gel formation characterized by a lower G’ in BM starches with respect to the native ones. Overall, the BM-induced changes of the technological functionalities were related to the amylose/amylopectin ratios and granule size distribution of the starches of different origin. The findings showed that BM has the potential for developing novel food ingredients. Keywords: Ball milling, starch origin, techno-functional properties. 1. Cai, M., Shen, C., Li, Y., Xiong, S., & Li, F. (2023). Effects of particle size on quality characteristics of stone‐milled whole wheat flour. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 103(5), 2483-2491 2. de Oliveira Barros, M., Mattos, A. L. A., de Almeida, J. S., de Freitas Rosa, M., & de Brito, E. S. (2023). Effect of Ball-Milling on Starch Crystalline Structure, Gelatinization Temperature, and Rheological Properties: Towards Enhanced Utilization in Thermosensitive Systems. Foods, 12(15), 2924 3. Hao, Z., Xu, H., Yu, Y., Gu, Z., Wang, Y., Li, C., ... & Yu, Z. (2024). Insights into ball milling treatment promotes the formation of starch-lipid complexes and the relation between multi-scale structure and in vitro digestibility based on intermolecular interactions. Food Hydrocolloids, 146, 109277.