The effects of lecithin on the complexation between pea starch and aliphatic alcohols in aqueous medium

This study investigated the effect of lecithin on the complexation of pea starch with aliphatic alcohols (C10–C18). Alcohols (C10–C16) produced cooling-stage viscosity peaks, while 1-octadecanol only showed increased final viscosity in ternary systems with lecithin during the Rapid viscosity analyzer program. Differential scanning calorimetry and complex index analyses revealed enhanced complex formation, with enthalpy changes nearly doubled compared to corresponding binary systems. X-ray diffraction showed increased V-type crystallinity (3.88–12.22 % to 8.36–21.10 %), while Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopies confirmed improved short-range molecular order. Enzymatic hydrolysis demonstrated reduced digestibility, with 35.86 % resistant starch content in PS-10-LE after cooking. SEM and rheology studies indicated that lecithin addition caused network collapse and weaker gelation, likely due to more complex formation. These findings validated lecithin's role in enhancing starch-alcohol complexation and highlighted its potential for developing resistant starches with guests and encapsulating different flavor compounds, offering promising applications in food science.