Improving rice quality by enhancing key amylose and amylopectin and their complexation with fatty acids.

Liu T, Li X, Wang J, Wang Z, Yin H, Li Z, Yuan W, Xu X, Shen X, Huang Y, Yang Z, Sun Y, Ma J, Li X, Chen Z.

Food Chem volume 502, Article number: 147674(2026),15 February 2026(IF=9.8)

Abstract

Lower quality of Chinese rice didn't meet societal demand for high-quality rice. Optimizing starch characteristics (including complexation) enhances rice quality, but the impact of starch-fatty acid complexation remains unclear. Therefore, we used molecular dynamics simulations to explore amylose/amylopectin-fatty acids complexation to elucidate rice quality impact. Results showed that Northeast/East China rice achieved first-grade quality, whereas Central/South/Southwest China rice achieved second-grade. Further analysis revealed 10–40 degrees of polymerization (DP) amylose and 3/2 of A/B1-chains (3A2B1-type) amylopectin enhance structural stability (lower energy/root mean square fluctuation (RMSF)) by forming more compact structures (amylose ends/center, amylopectin 2B1-region), increasing head rice rate and breakdown value, and reducing chalkiness and retrogradation value. These starch structures preferentially complex with specific fatty acids (palmitic/stearic/oleic acid for 10–40 DP amylose, linoleic acid for 3A2B1-type amylopectin), further tightening their structures. Therefore, boosting 10–40 DP amylose, 3A2B1-type amylopectin, and their fatty acid complexes improves rice quality, providing a basis for optimization.