Progress on glycogen branching enzymes and their application in the preparation of highly branched starch: a review.

Yi Gao, Xingfei Li, Xing Zhou, Long Chen, Cheng Lu, Chao Qiu, Jie Long, Zhengyu Jin, Jing Zhu

Journal: Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) 2025;213():116580

PMID: 40436562

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Abstract

Starch plays a vital role in societal development. However, during industrial processing, the properties and structure of starch change considerably, leading to limitations in its application. Starches need to be modified to meet industrial demand. Glycogen branching enzymes (GBEs) are important tools for the branched modification of starch, which catalyses the α-1,4 glycosidic bond connecting the glucans, severs the long linear chains and induces the formation of a new branched chain through the α-1,6 branching activity. This review summarises the techniques used in recent years to improve the performance of GBEs. And the improvement of starch properties after modification with GBEs is discussed. GBEs are mainly derived from glycoside hydrolase families (GH) 13 and 57. Rational and semi-rational designs provide the latest strategies for the improvement of GH 13 and GH 57 GBEs, showing great potential to meet future industrial needs. Moreover, improving the stability and activity of GBEs by enzyme engineering technology is an important direction to achieve industrial production of highly branched starch. This review also concludes by summarizing current applications of highly branched starch in food systems, including its utilization in baked goods, functional beverages, and as a delivery vehicle for bioactive compounds.

Address: The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.; The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, China.; The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Bioengineering, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, China.; The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116580

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MeSH Terms: Starch, 1,4-alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme, Food Handling