Effects of cereal grain cell wall composition and structure on starch digestion

Abstract

BACKGROUND Wheat is an important food crop, and its characteristics vary depending on the region of cultivation; different environments have varying effects on the composition of the grains. We previously reported the effects of environmental factors on wheat grain cell wall composition and structure. The variations in the structure of aleurone cell walls between different wheat samples were examined to determine the effects of aleurone cell walls on grain starch digestion properties. Ten different varieties of wheat grains with different aleurone cell wall structure and composition constituted a simple research system used to investigate their effect on the starch digestion of bread. RESULTS The aleurone cell wall thickness ranged from 3.05 μm to 4.67 μm, and the arabinose to xylose ratio of water‐extractable arabinoxylan was in the range 0.79–0.97. With the increase in arabinoxylans content or cell wall thickness, the total digestibility of starch within the bread decreased; this phenomenon may be related to the changes in the interaction between polysaccharides and starch granules in this process. CONCLUSION The results of the present study showed that the wheat cell wall structure has a great impact on starch hydrolysis, indicating that the change in the digestibility of starch in flour and bread may be a result of changes in the cell wall structure leading to different combinations, thus affecting digestibility. The present study showed that the cell wall combines the starch granules during the bread‐making process; thus, the diffusion of enzymes through the cell wall was hindered. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.