Starch Structure, Processing and Digestion

Dear Colleagues,

Starch is the second most abundant biopolymer. Unlike other polymers, starch is equally vital for both human/animal nutrition as well as nonfood applications from pharmaceuticals to fertilizers.  Starch is a polymer of linear amylose and branched amylopectin. However, the amount and molecular size leading to variation in supramolecular and granular structure make starch a unique biopolymer. The properties of starch vary with the botanical source. Similarly, functional features can also be tailored using various physical, chemical, enzymic, and combination of methods. From a nutritional point of view, starch can be either the best or worst of food ingredients. Starch with relatively slow and incomplete digestion has lower glycaemic load and insulin demand. This may lead to increased satiety and higher levels of resistant starch (RS); both are physiologically useful. Thus, the re-profiling of starch-containing foods to decrease their rate of digestion is a major target and opportunity for the food industry. The primary focus now is the development of a food structure that can encapsulate the starch (Type I RS) or retain the semi-crystalline structure intact (Type II RS). On the other hand, in-planta manipulation of starch synthesizing or branching enzymes leads to the formation of starch that is more thermo-stable and resists the complete gelatinization within common processing conditions. The high amylose wheat, maize, and rice starch (flours) are thus nutritionally superior compared to wild types. Thus, the elucidation of starch structure and changes during processing and digestion will provide design rules for the development of healthy food products as well as functional starch for nonfood applications.

Dr. Sushil Dhital
Guest Editor

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