Abstract

This study examined the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) and ultrasound (US) treatments on damaged starch (DS) content in wheat flour–water suspensions at concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 20%. Samples were treated using PEF (3–5 kV/cm, 3–15 kJ/kg, 50 Hz, 10 µs) and US (24 kHz, 100 W, 3–8 min). The samples with the lowest DS content were selected for further analysis of their physicochemical, techno-functional properties, and in vitro starch digestibility. DS levels in wheat flour treated with pulsed electric field (WF-PEF) and wheat flour treated with ultrasound (WF-US) ranged from 3.52 to 6.13% and 4.19 to 6.20%, respectively, which is well below the 10% standard threshold. PEF treatment did not significantly affect DG content, whereas US treatment notably reduced it from 9.23 to 5.74%, likely due to the formation of a starch-protein complex. Birefringence and SEM confirmed the preservation of starch crystalline and granular structure. Techno-functional properties, including solubility (16%), swelling power (4.5 g/g), and water absorption capacity (312%), remained unchanged compared to the control, which had values of 15.55%, 4.50 g/g, and 311.9%, respectively. Both treatments increased particle size and promoted structural rearrangements, which significantly influenced WF’s digestibility. At the end of the intestinal phase, hydrolysis rates (HR) were approximately 30% for WF, while WF-PEF and WF-US exhibited lower values of 20% and 14%, respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential of PEF and US as effective, non-thermal techniques for tailoring the physicochemical and nutritional properties of wheat flour without compromising its functional integrity.