Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Structure and Properties
of Oat Starch/Protein/β-Glucan Ternary Composite Systems

CHEN Yang-yang, MIAO Ying, HUO Rui, SUN Min-jun, XIE Jing-yu, ZHANG Mei-li*

(College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University,
Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010018, China)

Abstract: Starch, protein, and β-glucan are major components of oats, and their interactions directly determine the processing quality and nutritional function. As a green non-thermal processing technology, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) possesses prominent advantages in improving the functional properties of cereals. To investigate the effects of different HHP treatments (0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 MPa) on the interactions and starch properties of oat starch/protein/β-glucan ternary composite systems, the microstructure and physicochemical characteristics of the composite systems were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that HHP treatment enhanced the interactions between the three components, improved thermal stability and delayed gelatinization at 100 ~ 300 MPa, while high pressure (400~500 MPa) induced complete gelatinization and structural transformation of the composite systems. Treatments at 100 ~ 300 MPa increased the relative crystallinity, short-range order and double helix structure of the composite system,reduced pasting viscosity, breakdown value and retrogradation value, and significantly elevated pasting temperature and pasting time. By contrast, 400 ~ 500 MPa treatments markedly decreased the relative crystallinity and short-range ordered structure of the composite systems, and transformed the crystal structure from A-type to V-type. Meanwhile, the pasting viscosity and breakdown value increased while the retrogradation value decreased, and the disappearance of endothermic peaks indicated the complete gelatinization of the composite systems. Dynamic rheology results showed that all pressure-treated composite systems retained weak gel characteristics, with reduced storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″), suggesting that HHP treatment lowered the viscoelasticity of the ternary composite systems. The study provides a further theoretical basis for the preparation of multicomponent oat composite systems and high-pressure processing of oat-based foods.
Key words: high hydrostatic pressure treatment; oat; ternary composite system; interaction; microstructure; thermal properties

Chinese Library Classification Number: TS235.1

Documentary Identification Code:  A     Article ID: 1007-7561(2026)05-0055-11

Published time on CNKI: 2026-08-27 13:42:58

Published address on CNKI: https://link.cnki.net/urlid/11.3863.TS.20260827.1142.012