Effect of Different Freeze–Thaw Cycles and Fucoidan on Structural and Functional Properties of Lotus Seed Starch Gels: Insights from Structural Characterization and In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion

The influence of freeze–thaw (FT) cycling and fucoidan incorporation on the structural and digestive characteristics of lotus seed starch (LS) gels was systematically examined. Fucoidan–lotus seed starch (F-LS) gels were exposed to 0, 1, 3, and 5 FT cycles. Repeated FT treatments were found to disrupt the gel matrix and decrease thermal stability, whereas the addition of 1–2% fucoidan effectively alleviated these degradations. Crystallinity was sig- nificantly reduced from 37.62% to 26.38% (p...