Preserving resistant starch in retrograded maize starch gels: the role of microwave reheating power and target centre temperature.

The increasing consumption of convenience foods has led to frequent reheating of stored starchy products. This raises concerns about preserving resistant starch (RS3), induced by refrigeration in retrograded starchy foods, during microwave reheating-a topic that remains underexplored. This research addresses this gap by using retrograded maize starch gels as a model and investigating the joint effects from microwave reheating power (low 154 W vs. medium 490 W) and target centre temperature (CT, 50 °C versus 80 °C, pre- and post-gelatinization of native maize starch) through multi-scale structural analysis. Results reveal that CT is the key factor influencing residual structure, gel microstructure, gel texture, and in-vitro digestibility of starch. Reheating to 50 °C, compared to 80 °C, preserves a greater proportion of double helices (∼83 %) and crystalline structure (∼19.6 % to 26.7 %), enhancing starch resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. Additionally, medium-power heating, with its faster rate, selectively disrupts small or imperfect double helices, limiting microwave exposure to semi-crystalline areas and thus preserving higher crystallinity compared to low-power heating. Starch structure and water redistribution in starch gels, affected by reheating conditions, collaboratively shape the microstructure of reheated starch gels, with low-temperature reheating yielding a honeycomb-like structure with small, densely packed pores, contrasted by larger, fewer pores at higher temperatures. Notably, reheating to 50 °C with medium microwave power optimally preserves fridge-induced recrystallized starch. These insights offer novel mechanistic understanding and practical guidance for developing starch-based foods with controlled digestibility and desirable texture post-reheating, aligning with the growing demand for nutritionally enhanced convenience foods.