Background

Starch is a vital component of the human diet and is widely used in food manufacturing. Its complex and subtle structure influences its physicochemical properties, thus affecting its application. Microwave heating has experienced increased popularity in the food industry for many diverse uses. Dielectric properties are crucial parameters reflecting the response of food to microwave treatment. Recent studies have often neglected the importance of dielectric properties when investigating the structural changes of starch in a microwave field.

Scope and approach

This review summarizes the dielectric and microwave absorption properties of starches and starch systems (with water and/or ions). The various possible structural changes of starch under a microwave field are also analyzed, from the macroscopic to the microscopic level (morphology, lamellar structure, crystalline structure and molecular structure), in an attempt to elucidate the essential features of the response of starch to microwave heating in terms of the dielectric properties.

Key findings and conclusions

Microwaves can directly or indirectly induce a series of changes in the morphology and internal structures of starch granules, closely related to the dielectric properties of the system and microwave input energy. The future research trend will be to regulate and manipulate the structural changes of microwave-treated starch systems from the perspective of changing their dielectric properties and to obtain microwave-treated starch-based food with desirable properties.

中文翻译：

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微波加热淀粉的结构变化：介电性能的综述

背景

淀粉是人类饮食的重要组成部分，被广泛用于食品生产中。其复杂而微妙的结构影响其理化性质，从而影响其应用。微波加热已经在食品工业中得到了越来越多的普及，用于多种用途。介电特性是反映食物对微波处理响应的关键参数。在研究微波领域中淀粉的结构变化时，最近的研究常常忽略了介电性能的重要性。

范围和方法

这篇综述总结了淀粉和淀粉体系（与水和/或离子）的介电和微波吸收特性。从宏观到微观（形态，层状结构，晶体结构和分子结构），还分析了微波场下淀粉的各种可能的结构变化，试图阐明淀粉对微波反应的基本特征。就介电性能而言加热。

主要发现和结论

微波可以直接或间接引起淀粉颗粒形态和内部结构的一系列变化，与系统的介电性能和微波输入能量密切相关。未来的研究趋势将是从改变其介电性能的角度来调节和控制微波处理的淀粉体系的结构变化，并获得具有所需性能的微波处理的淀粉基食品。