A comparative study on digestion and SEM based topological behaviour of six native starches hydrolysed using porcine pancreatic enzymes

Abstract

The variation in structure and function of any biomolecule plays a vital role as far as the digestibility, absorption and other metabolic regulations are concerned. The amorphous to crystalline arrangement of any starchy granule reflects the polymorphic type and so-forth determines the digestion pattern as rapid, slow or resistant. The granule morphology in its native form and its ultrastructural arrangement are also crucial factors in determining the digestion behaviour of any native starch granule. The present study depicted that the digestion profile of any starchy granule is not only dictated by the compositional variation of amylose to amylopectin ratio but also the thickness of the granule layer. Although the native starch of banana and potato resisted digestion by porcine pancreatic enzymes due to the presence of thick granule layer, but the thin granule layer of taro, cassava, rice and maize starch were not able to resist the action of hydrolytic enzymes.