{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T17:11:19Z","timestamp":1778605879782,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778544000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Gels"],"abstract":"<jats:p>To compare the structure and properties of hydroxypropyl starch\/carrageenan blends with different amylose\/amylopectin contents, two types of hydroxypropyl starch\u2014a high-amylose type (amylose content &gt; 70%) and a high-amylopectin type (amylopectin content &gt; 95%)\u2014were used. These starches had similar molecular weights, degrees of hydroxypropyl substitution, and other properties, differing only in their amylose and amylopectin contents. Each starch was blended with carrageenan via a solution blending method, and the resulting blends were systematically characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis, rheological tests, texture analysis, mechanical property tests, contact angle analysis, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The results showed that, upon blending with carrageenan, the hydroxypropyl starch transformed from a weak viscoelastic solution into an elastic, strong gel. FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed that the hydroxypropyl starch and carrageenan formed a homogeneous, compact, three-dimensional network via hydrogen bonding. This significantly enhanced the mechanical strength and stability of the blends. The influence of starch molecular structure on the blend system\u2019s properties exhibited a pronounced state dependence. In the gel state, hydroxypropyl amylopectin effectively filled the carrageenan network due to its high swelling capacity, thereby improving the thermal stability and textural properties of the blends. However, in the film state, hydroxypropyl amylose with higher crystallinity and denser molecular packing contributed to superior tensile strength, hydrophobicity and light transmittance. Furthermore, the optimal mass ratio of hydroxypropyl starch to carrageenan was found to be in the range of 2:1 to 4:1. With this ratio, excessive cross-linking and poor compatibility could be avoided, resulting in improved mechanical performance, hydrophobicity, and light transmittance. This study reveals the relationship between starch molecular structure, system state and macroscopic properties, providing a theoretical basis for the rational design and regulation of the properties of hydroxypropyl starch\/carrageenan blends.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/gels12050423","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T16:04:36Z","timestamp":1778601876000},"page":"423","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparison of the Structure and Properties of Hydroxypropyl Starch\/Carrageenan Blends with Different Amylose\/Amylopectin Contents"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Xingxing","family":"Zhu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Di","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chenguang Biotechnology Group Co., Ltd., Handan 057250, China"},{"name":"Chenguang Biotechnology Group Handan Co., Ltd., Handan 056007, China"},{"name":"Hebei Nutrition and Health Food Technology Innovation Center, Handan 056004, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Juanjuan","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chenguang Biotechnology Group Co., Ltd., Handan 057250, China"},{"name":"Chenguang Biotechnology Group Handan Co., Ltd., Handan 056007, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jinglong","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yunhe","family":"Lian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chenguang Biotechnology Group Co., Ltd., Handan 057250, China"},{"name":"Chenguang Biotechnology Group Handan Co., Ltd., Handan 056007, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8592-9617","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yunkai","family":"Lv","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2100107","DOI":"10.1002\/star.202100107","article-title":"Effect of starch chain structure and non-starch components on the hydrolysis of starch by \u03b1-amylase","volume":"74","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Starch\u2014St\u00e4rke"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, X.L., Chen, Y.F., Yang, J.J., Li, S.J., Xie, H.L., and Ma, T.L. 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