Starch Extraction and Modification by Pulsed Electric Fields

ABSTRACT

Starch modification arises from the need to obtain starches with the desirable properties, being the physical modification techniques preferred over the chemical ones. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) can improve starch extraction and alter starch properties by decreasing the relative crystallinity, gelatinization temperatures and enthalpies, viscosity and pasting temperature. The lamellar repeating distance can be altered depending on the starch botanical origin. PEF can alter the digestible starch content, while maintaining the resistant one. Future research of the amylopectin structure may provide reasoning for these variations in starch digestibility behavior. The in-vitro human simulated digestion points to a decrease in digestibility.

Keywords:

• Pulsed electric fields
• extraction yields
• starch modification
• pasting and thermal properties
• polymorphism and in-vitro digestion

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to the Universidade Católica Portuguesa by the financial support of the CBQF Associate Laboratory under the FCT project UID/Multi/50016/2019 and to the University of Aveiro and FCT/MCT for the financial support for the QOPNA research Unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2019) and to Laboratório Associado LAQV-REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020) through national funds and, where applicable, co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. Author Luís M. G. Castro is also grateful for the financial support of this work from FCT through the Doctoral Grant SFRH/BD/136882/2018.

Author contributions

Luís M. G. Castro searched, reviewed the available literature, and created the first version of the manuscript. Elisabete M. C. Alexandre, Jorge A. Saraiva, and Manuela Pintado conceptualize the idea, provided scientific supervision, performed a critical revision, and provided the necessary conditions to produce the paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/136882/2018,UID/Multi/50016/2019,UID/QUI/00062/2019,UIDB/50006/2020].