Innovative Approaches in Wheat Starch and Gluten Separation: Techniques, Functional Modifications, and Emerging Applications

This study analyzes the separation technologies of wheat starch and gluten, including wet separation, dry separation, and emerging technologies such as ultrasound-assisted separation, enzymatic separation, microfluidic separation, and the synergistic separation of electric and magnetic fields. The advantages and limitations of different methods are discussed in detail. Additionally, the impact of separation processes on the functional properties of starch and gluten is explored. The study finds that combining ultrasound and enzymatic methods can effectively improve separation efficiency while reducing damage to the protein and starch structures. Furthermore, the study summarizes functional modification technologies, such as physical (microwave, γ-rays), chemical (esterification, oxidation), and biological (enzymatic hydrolysis) modifications, and their role in optimizing the functionality of wheat starch and gluten. The emerging applications of these modifications in fields such as food, environmental materials, and biomedicine are also analyzed, including low-GI foods, biodegradable packaging, and biomaterial scaffolds. This study provides scientific evidence and necessary references for the separation and high-value utilization of wheat starch and gluten.