Abstract:
Starch gelatinization as a method of processing starch is widely used in both cooking and industrial processes. In this study, data on the thermal properties of starch across a wide range of starch sources was collected from the PubMed database and analyzed to increase understanding of the thermodynamics of the starch gelatinization process. This study also explored the compensation between enthalpy and entropy known as enthalpy–entropy compensation in starch gelatinization which is also observed in many other reactions and found they have a direct effect on the gelatinization temperature of the starch. The compensation temperature which is the slope of an enthalpy–entropy compensation plot is also compared between different starch sources, revealing how one starch differs from another in terms of its gelatinization process. The origin of enthalpy–entropy compensation, a topic of ongoing debate among researchers, is also examined for starch gelatinization using two methods discussed in the literature. Our findings suggest that it is more likely to have a physical origin rather than being a result of experimental artifacts. The findings of this study can guide researchers in exploring the applications of enthalpy–entropy compensation and compensation temperature in understanding other thermally driven systems. Additionally, they can aid the food industry in processing starch foods more efficiently.