Structural and functional properties of acetylated distarch adipate with varying degrees of substitution: Impact on freeze-thaw stability of frozen dough

In this study, Acetylated distarch adipate (ADA) with varying degrees of substitution was synthesized from cassava starch. Structural and functional analyses revealed that increasing DS decreased the relative crystallinity and gelatinization temperature of ADA, while enhancing paste viscosity, anti-retrogradation ability, and freeze-thaw stability. After freeze-thaw cycles, CS-ADA-5 (DS = 0.054) exhibited the lowest water separation rate (9.67 %). Rheological, LF-NMR, and microstructural analyses demonstrated that the incorporation of ADA improved frozen dough quality. Compared to the control, CS-ADA-5 demonstrated a 42 % increase in storage modulus, a 37 % increase in loss modulus, a 53 % higher proportion of tightly bound water, a 25 % reduction in free water, and a more uniformly dispersed gluten-starch network. However, higher DS (>0.054) decreased water-binding capacity and exacerbated ice crystal damage. These findings indicate ADA effectively stabilizes frozen dough by inhibiting ice recrystallization, preserving gluten structure, and improving moisture distribution, offering valuable insights for industrial applications in frozen food production.