Enhancing starch functionality through synergistic modification via sequential treatments with cold plasma and electron beam irradiation

Braşoveanu, M, Sabbaghi, H, Ticoș, D, Dumitru, M, Sunooj, KV, Sher, F ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2890-5912 and Nemţanu, MR, 2024. Enhancing starch functionality through synergistic modification via sequential treatments with cold plasma and electron beam irradiation. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 270 (Part 1): 132346. ISSN 0141-8130

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Abstract

The impact of dual sequential modifications using radio-frequency (RF) plasma and electron beam irradiation (EBI) on starch properties was investigated and compared with single treatments within an irradiation dose range of 5–20 kGy. Regardless of sequence, dual treatments synergistically affected starch properties, increasing acidity, solubility, and paste clarity, while decreasing rheological features with increasing irradiation dose. The molecular weight distribution was also synergistically influenced. Amylopectin distribution broadened particularly below 10 kGy. Amylose narrowed its distribution across all irradiation doses. This was due to dominating EBI-induced degradation and molecular rearrangements from RF plasma. With the highest average radiation-chemical yield (G) and degradation rate constant (k) of (2.12 ± 0.14) × 10−6 mol·J−1 and (3.43 ± 0.23) × 10−4 kGy−1, respectively, upon RF plasma pre-treatment, amylose underwent random chain scission. In comparison to single treatments, dual modification caused minor alterations in spectral characteristics and crystal short-range order structure, along with increased granule aggregation and surface irregularities. The synergistic effect was dose-dependent, significant up to 10 kGy, irrespective of treatment sequence. The highest synergistic ratio was observed when RF plasma preceded irradiation, demonstrating the superior efficiency of plasma pre-treatment in combination with EBI. This synergy has the potential to lower costs and extend starch's technological uses by enhancing radiation sensitivity and reducing the irradiation dose.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Creators:	Braşoveanu, M., Sabbaghi, H., Ticoș, D., Dumitru, M., Sunooj, K.V., Sher, F. and Nemţanu, M.R.
Publisher:	Elsevier BV
Date:	June 2024
Volume:	270
Number:	Part 1
ISSN:	0141-8130
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132346 DOI S0141813024031519 Publisher Item Identifier 2556520 Other
Rights:	© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This article is available under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC license and permits non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Melissa Cornwell
Date Added:	02 Feb 2026 10:12
Last Modified:	02 Feb 2026 10:31
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55159

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