Physical characteristics of biopolymers obtained from cereal starch biomolecules

Abstract

Natural biopolymers have been of great help, due to the versatility of their mechanical, biodegradable and biocompatible properties. They have been adapted for different uses. In the present work the elaboration on a laboratory scale of biopolymers of cereals Zea mays, Sorghum and Triticum is shown, the obtaining of the starch biomolecules by means of alkaline extraction [1], edible chemical modifiers such as citric, tartaric and ascorbic acid were used, glycerin as plasticizer and distilled water for hydration. Eleven experiments E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11 were carried out under two drying conditions: room temperature and a Felisa oven at 30±1°C for 24 hours. Experiments E1, E2, E3, E4, E7 were made with biomolecules extracted from the starch of the three cereals mentioned, using citric acid as a chemical modifier and experiments E5, E6, E8, E9, E10 and E11 were carried out with standardized starch. tartaric acid and ascorbic acid in order to compare the stability in its macromolecular matrix of the biopolymers. Concluding that the chemical modifier that provides better physical characteristics such as miscibility in biopolymers was citric acid compared to the use of tartaric acid and ascorbic acid. In addition, it was observed that the less molecular weight of starch biomolecules are used and stability at a temperature of 30 ± 1°C for 24 hours, a stable, cohesive and flexible biopolymer macromolecular matrix is obtained as shown in experiments E3, E4, E7 and E11.