Physical interactions often occur between major food components during food processing. These interactions may involve starch, lipids, and proteins forming V-type starch-lipid complexes or ternary starch-lipid-protein complexes of larger molecular size and greater structural order. Complexes between starch and lipids have been the subject of intensive research for over half a century, whereas the study of starch-lipid-protein complexes is a relatively new field with only a limited amount of knowledge being gained so far. The formation of these complexes can significantly affect the functional and nutritional properties of finished food products in terms of flavor, texture, shelf life, and digestibility. This article provides a comprehensive review of starch-lipid and starch-lipid-protein complexes, including their classification, factors affecting their formation and structure, and preparative and analytical methods. The review also considers how complexes affect the physicochemical and functional properties of starch, including digestibility, and potential applications in the food industry.
Keywords: applications; digestibility; multi-scale structure; preparative methods; starch-lipid complex; starch-lipid-protein complex.
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