Elucidating the effect of Litsea pungens Hemsl. oil (LPHO) with different crystalline starches complexed on flavor release and structural properties

Litsea pungens Hemsl. Oil possesses a distinctive flavor and notable bioactivity. Differences in the crystalline structure of different types of starch affect the interaction with the flavor. In this study, three different crystalline starches (corn starch (type A), rice starch (type A) potato starch (type B) and pea starch (type C)) were used to encapsulate LPHO to form a complex: COS-L, RIS-L, POS-L and PES-L, respectively. COS-L exhibited the highest encapsulation efficiency (46.27 % ± 2.36 %), flavor retention (84.26 % ± 1.53 %), and complexation index (23.71 % ± 0.21 %). COS-L showed smaller release rates and relatively high storage stability. Sensory evaluation and GC–MS analysis verified that COS-L has better flavor retention. The structural characterization results indicate that COS-L and RIS-L form a V-type crystal structure, while starch and LPHO in POS-L and PES-L showed limited tendency to form V-type crystal structures. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that complexation between key aromatic compounds in LPHO and starch facilitated the establishment of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the starch molecule, resulting in the formation of a stable V-type structure. The study elucidates the differences in the structure and properties of the complexes that are formed from different starches with LPHO, and elucidates the process of formation of V-type complexes in the complexes.