Investigation of physico-chemical properties of native and gamma irradiated starches

Abstract

Starch is one of the most abundantly found carbohydrates in cereals, roots, legumes and fruits located in amyloplasts of plants. Native starch comprises of amylose, a linear α-glucan with α-1,4-linkage and amylopectin, a branched polysaccharide with both α-1,4-linkage and α-1,6-linkage. In food industries, the native starch is modified to manufacture the desired quality of starchy foods by means of physical, chemical, and enzymatic modification techniques. Gamma irradiation technique is one among the physical modifications of starch which is extensively used for the modification of native starch as it is rapid, less toxic and cost-effective technique. When starch is radiated with gamma rays, it is observed to produce free radicals owing to cleavage of amylopectin branches and exhibit variation in their physicochemical properties. In this study, commercially available corn, rice, and potato starch were irradiated with 10 kGy dose of gamma radiation and changes in their physicochemical properties were investigated. Native and irradiated starch was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis with bacterial α-amylase (150 U/mL). The highest starch hydrolysis was observed for irradiated rice starch (17.03%). Amylose content of irradiated starch decreased by 3–4 %. The optical microscopic images showed the surface erosions of the irradiated starch and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) revealed the thermal transition temperatures. Overall, starch hydrolysis and amylose content showed inverse correlation between them. Further studies regarding the effect of storage on gamma irradiated starch can help to gain new insights into the usage of modified starches in the manufacture of processed foods.