Microwave-induced Reconfiguration of Structural, Morphological, and Functional Properties of Himalayan Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Starch: A Comparative Study of Three Cultivars

With the growing emphasis on green and rapid processing technologies, microwave-assisted modification has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional thermal treatments; however, its effects on starches from region-specific cultivars remain poorly understood. This study investigated the influence of microwave treatment (900 W, 30-120 s) on the physicochemical, functional, and structural properties of starch isolated from three Himalayan chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars (HC-2, HPG-17, and HC-1). Starch extraction yields ranged from 30.12 to 33.20%, with total starch content reaching 89.35% in HPG-17, highlighting the potential of these cultivars as high-quality starch sources for industrial applications. Microwave treatment induced significant ( P < 0.05 ) time-dependent changes in the structural and functional properties of the starch. Moderate treatment durations (30-90 s) yielded the most favorable techno-functional characteristics, whereas FTIR and XRD analyses indicated that structural modifications increased progressively with treatment time, with the most pronounced changes observed at 120 s. A significant ( P < 0.05 ) reduction in syneresis across all cultivars indicated enhanced water-holding capacity of the starch gels. Among the cultivars, HPG-17 exhibited the highest swelling power (11.28%) and solubility (70.23%) under the optimized treatment conditions. The controlled microwave treatment (900 W, 90 s) provides an effective clean-label approach for tailoring the functionality of Himalayan chickpea starch, with HPG-17 emerging as the most promising cultivar for food and industrial applications.