The structure, properties and potential probiotic properties of starch-pectin blend: A review

In the past research, pectin was added to starch to ameliorate properties, but there is no relevant review to explain and clarify. Therefore, this article reviews the formation, structure and properties of starch-pectin blend, and proposes the potential prebiotic properties of starch-pectin blend. The interaction between starch-pectin blend is mainly a non-covalent interaction based on hydrogen bonds, pectin molecules interact with starch mainly through side chains. This effect leads to the higher crystallinity and the more short-range ordered structures in the starch, such as single helix and double helix ratios, ultimately, it increases the content of resistant starch (RS) and slow-digestible starch, and reducing the digestibility of starch. At the same time, we believe that the resistance mechanism of starch-pectin mixture is similar to type 1 and type 5 RS. The resistance not only comes from the protection of pectin on starch and the inhibition effect of pectin on digestive enzymes, but also the complex formed by the hydrogen bonding of starch and pectin. The blend may have the synergistic probiotic effect of single RS and pectin. [Display omitted] •Starch and pectin interact mainly through hydrogen bonds.•Hydrogen-bonding interactions lead to changes in starch hierarchy, increasing the starch resistance.•The resistance mechanism of starch-pectin mixture may be similar to type 1 and type 5 RS.•The starch-pectin blend may have a synergistic probiotic effect between a single resistant starch and pectin.