Physicochemical Properties of Oxidized Cassava Starch Prepared under Various Alkalinity Levels

Abstract

AbstractThe physicochemical properties of hypochlorite‐oxidized cassava starch as influenced by the alkalinity levels (pH 8 to 11) during modification process were investigated. Hypochlorite oxidation generally increased the contents of carbonyl and carboxyl groups in starch but decreased starch viscosity. The formation of carbonyl and carboxyl groups was more favorable under the milder alkaline conditions (pH 8 and 9). Oxidation conducted at higher alkalinity levels produced both functional groups at a much slower rate and to a lesser extent. Starch viscosity decreased markedly with increasing reaction time. The alkalinity levels during the modification process greatly influenced the initial viscosity of the oxidized starch paste and the viscosity stability of the paste during storage. Thermal behavior studies by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated that oxidation decreased both gelatinization temperature and enthalpy. The decrease in gelatinization temperature was strongly related to the carboxyl group content. The more carboxyl groups the oxidized starch contained, the lower was the gelatinization temperature. Retrogradation of amylopectin tended to increase slightly after oxidation. While the light transmittance of native starch paste drastically decreased during cold storage, the changes observed in oxidized starch pastes were less pronounced and appeared to depend on carboxyl content. The results from light transmittance studies suggested that carboxyl groups introduced into the starch molecules could effectively prevent retrogradation.