Commercial Starch Research Articles

Optimization of Starch-Based Bioplastic from Sweet Potato using Box-Behnken Design with Plasticizer and Filler for Reduced Water Absorption

Plastic is a ubiquitous material used in a wide range of applications, but its disposal has become a significant environmental concern. Bioplastics, which offer several advantages over conventional plastics, including a smaller carbon footprint, greater biodegradability, and adaptability, are being explored as a potential alternative. Among the bioplastics, starch-based polymers have gained significant attention due to their natural abundance, biocompatibility, low cost, and renewability. In this study, a starch-based bioplastic was developed using glycerol and sorbitol as plasticizers and wood dust as a filler through the casting method. Starch was extracted from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). The optimal conditions for preparing the bioplastic with minimum water adsorption were determined using a three-level Box-Behnken design. The amount of starch, plasticizer, and filler were the key parameters for this study. The percentage of water absorption was determined by immersing the prepared bioplastic in distilled water for 24 hours and weighing it. The result of the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of extracted starch showed a similar observation peak pattern when compared to the FTIR spectrum of commercial starch. The linear response model produced a good coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.8237), indicating that the chosen parameters implicitly affect the percentage of water absorption. The prediction percentage of water absorption after optimization is 20.069 with a desirability value of 0.806. This study shows that the response surface approach helps in determining the optimum conditions for the minimum percentage of water adsorption from starch-based bioplastic.

Development of biodegradable plastic films from cassava starch

Plastic has become part of daily life because it is used in all industrial applications. Although it is beneficial and practical, it is the material that generates the most pollution in ecosystems. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to produce plastic films capable of degrading the environment in a shorter time (bioplastics). For this purpose, different samples were made with cassava starch (pulp or commercial), using amounts in the solution of 4% w/v and 30% w/w of cassava starch and glycerol, respectively, considering variations between the percentages of chitosan. The results showed that it is possible to obtain bioplastic by the casting method with the mixture of cassava starch (pulp or commercial), glycerol, and chitosan. Likewise, thanks to the laboratory tests carried out, was possible to determine that the use of commercial starch to produce biodegradable plastic films significantly favors moisture adsorption, solubility, and biodegradability, compared to starch extracted from cassava by hand, with good statistics validity of the analyzed data.

Mutual regulation of novel transcription factors RsrD and RsrE positively modulates the production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme in Penicillium oxalicum.

Filamentous fungi can produce raw-starch-degrading enzyme, however, regulation of production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme remains poorly understood thus far. Here, two novel transcription factors raw-starch-degrading enzyme regulator D (RsrD) and raw-starch-degrading enzyme regulator E (RsrE) were identified to participate in the production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme in Penicillium oxalicum. Individual knockout of rsrD and rsrE in the parental strain Δku70 resulted in 31.1%-92.9% reduced activity of raw-starch-degrading enzyme when cultivated in the presence of commercial starch from corn. RsrD and RsrE contained a basic leucine zipper and a Zn2Cys6-type DNA-binding domain, respectively, but with unknown functions. RsrD and RsrE dynamically regulated the expression of genes encoding major amylases over time, including raw-starch-degrading glucoamylase gene PoxGA15A and α-amylase gene amy13A. Interestingly, RsrD and RsrE regulated each other at transcriptional level, through binding to their own promoter regions; nevertheless, both failed to bind to the promoter regions of PoxGA15A and amy13A, as well as the known regulatory genes for regulation of amylase gene expression. RsrD appears to play an epistatic role in the module RsrD-RsrE on regulation of amylase gene expression. This study reveals a novel regulatory pathway of fungal production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme.IMPORTANCETo survive via combating with complex extracellular environment, filamentous fungi can secrete plant polysaccharide-degrading enzymes that can efficiently hydrolyze plant polysaccharide into glucose or other mono- and disaccharides, for their nutrients. Among the plant polysaccharide-degrading enzymes, raw-starch-degrading enzymes directly degrade and convert hetero-polymeric starch into glucose and oligosaccharides below starch gelatinization temperature, which can be applied in industrial biorefinery to save cost. However, the regulatory mechanism of production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme in fungi remains unknown thus far. Here, we showed that two novel transcription factors raw-starch-degrading enzyme regulator D (RsrD) and raw-starch-degrading enzyme regulator E (RsrE) positively regulate the production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme by Penicillium oxalicum. RsrD and RsrE indirectly control the expression of genes encoding enzymes with amylase activity but directly regulate each other at transcriptional level. These findings expand diversity of gene expression regulation in fungi.

Effects of biodegradation of starch-nanocellulose films incorporated with black tea extract on soil quality

This study aimed to investigate the biodegradation behaviour of starch/nanocellulose/black tea extract (SNBTE) films in a 30-day soil burial test. The SNBTE films were prepared by mixing commercial starch, nanocellulose (2, 4, and 6%), and an aqueous solution of black tea extract by a simple mixing and casting process. The chemical and morphological properties of the SNBTE films before and after biodegradation were characterized using the following analytical techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The changes in soil composition, namely pH, electrical conductivity (EC), moisture content, water holding capacity (WHC), soil respiration, total nitrogen, weight mean diameter (MDW), and geometric mean diameter (GMD), as a result of the biodegradation process, were also estimated. The results showed that the films exhibited considerable biodegradability (35–67%) within 30 days while increasing soil nutrients. The addition of black tea extract reduced the biodegradation rate due to its polyphenol content, which likely resulted in a reduction in microbial activity. The addition of nanocellulose (2–6% weight of starch) increased the tensile strength, but decreased the elongation at break of the films. These results suggest that starch nanocellulose and SNBTE films are not only biodegradable under soil conditions but also positively contribute to soil health, highlighting their potential as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic films in the packaging industry.

Use of Commercial Starch, Starches Derived from Cassava, Potato, and Yam as Additives for Synthesising Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer Composites

Use of Commercial Starch, Starches Derived from Cassava, Potato, and Yam as Additives for Synthesising Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer Composites

Amino acids production using pineapple plant stem by optimised one-step fermentation

BackgroundThe surge in global pineapple production has led to an excess of waste, demanding a sustainable approach for bioconversion. Despite its substantial volume, pineapple plant stems remain largely neglected, often discarded as on-farm waste. These stems, composed of intricate structures, necessitate a multi-step process for effective bioconversion. A promising alternative involves a single-step approach using microorganisms to combine hydrolysis and fermentation processes, yielding significant amino acid production from pineapple plant stems. This is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 13 in reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions from traditional waste disposal methods.ResultsThe utilisation of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 for amino acid production demonstrated success, yielding 1.28 mg/mL of total free amino acids with a remarkable 67.13 mg/g yield. This represents a 13% increase in concentration and a 12% boost in yield compared to commercial starch. The study underscores the pivotal role of medium composition, highlighting the significance of pineapple plant stems as a substrate and other key components to enhance amino acid production.ConclusionNotably, the study achieved a substantial improvement in total amino acids production, reaching 9.57 mg/mL with a yield of 423.97 mg/g—an impressive 6.32-fold increment. This emphasises the enhanced potential of pineapple plant stems as a valuable resource for amino acid production, shedding light on the importance of optimising medium composition for maximum yield.Graphical

Utilization of Palm Oil Waste into Liquid Smoke in Cellulose Commercial Starch Nano Fiber Composite as Antimicrobial Substances in the Manufacturing of Food Packaging

The high demand for plastic use today will result in environmental damage because the plastic that is widely used cannot be broken down. This plastic waste is dangerous for the sustainability of the food chain, pollutes water and soil, causes global warming, and causes air pollution. This research synthesizes a cellulose nanofiber composite with commercial starch in a 1:1 ratio with the influence of the addition of smoke liquid from palm oil waste. This research aims to process cellulose nanocomposite fibers combined with commercial starch and use them in biodegradable plastic by testing the effect of giving smoke liquid on the development of microbial substances in environmentally friendly biodegradable plastic food packaging. So the resulting product is expected to have the potential to reduce dependence on the use of synthetic plastic. This research aims to determine the optimum concentration of liquid acid from empty oil palm fruit bunches as an antimicrobial agent in the resulting bioplastic. The addition of liquid smoke changes the bioplastic properties of FTIR and XRD the attractive strength of bioplastic. The sample with the highest concentration of liquid smoke had the greatest tensile strength (2.34 MPa). The addition of liquid smoke concentration from empty oil palm shells showed a good inhibitory area for the development of bacillus cereus (10.8 mm).
 Keywords: liquid smoke, plastic biodegradable, food packaging, antimicrobial

3D printed arrowroot starch-gellan scaffolds for wound healing applications

Skin, the largest organ in the body, blocks the entry of environmental pollutants into the system. Any injury to this organ allows infections and other harmful substances into the body. 3D bioprinting, a state-of-the-art technique, is suitable for fabricating cell culture scaffolds to heal chronic wounds rapidly. This study uses starch extracted from Maranta arundinacea (Arrowroot plant) (AS) and gellan gum (GG) to develop a bioink for 3D printing a scaffold capable of hosting animal cells. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) prove that the isolated AS is analogous to commercial starch. The cell culture scaffolds developed are superior to the existing monolayer culture. Infrared microscopy shows the AS-GG interaction and elucidates the mechanism of hydrogel formation. The physicochemical properties of the 3D-printed scaffold are analyzed to check the cell adhesion and growth; SEM images have confirmed that the AS-GG printed scaffold can support cell growth and proliferation, and the MTT assay shows good cell viability. Cell behavioral and migration studies reveal that cells are healthy. Since the scaffold is biocompatible, it can be 3D printed to any shape and structure and will biodegrade in the requisite time.

Starch‐Based Biodegradable Film from Fruit and Vegetable Waste and Its Standardization Modules Based on Neural Networks and Response Surface Methodology

AbstractFruits and vegetable waste‐based starch has numerous applications for use as a biodegradable film in food packaging materials. This study reviews fruit and vegetable waste‐based non‐commercial starches that can be utilized as an alternatives for commercial starches in biodegradable film growth. Circular economy, sustainable manufacturing goals, recycling waste and by‐products, and new basic concepts drive the hunt for alternative starch sources. Starches from unusual and abandoned fruits and vegetables offer stronger research potential. The characteristics of starch extracted from these sources and their use as a biodegradable film are emerging trends in the field of packaging technology. Further, millet starch, for example, is made from the waste of underused crops or other fruits and vegetables and presents a wealth of new avenues for biodegradable film study. In order to cease throwing away valuable carbohydrates, especially starch, these sources must incorporate into the concept of “circularity” and work toward more sustainable manufacturing practices. Besides, optimizing the biodegradable film composition to improve barrier and shelf life is also crucial. Thus, an additional study may apply response surface‐based hybrid optimization, neural networks, or deep learning‐oriented models to optimize biodegradable film composition and intelligent monitoring of the materials under the packing systems.

Modification of Acorn Starch Structure and Properties by High Hydrostatic Pressure.

Despite being rich in starch, over half of acorn production is undervalued. High hydrostatic pressure was used to modify the properties of Q. pyrenaica (0.1 and 460 MPa for 20 min) and Q. robur (0.1 and 333 MPa for 17.4 min) acorn starches to obtain high-valued ingredients. Pressure significantly altered the span distribution and heterogeneity of the acorn starch granules depending on the species, but their morphology was unaffected. Pressurization increased the amylose/amylopectin ratio and damaged starch contents, but the effect was more prominent in Q. pyrenaica than in Q. robur. However, the polymorphism, relative crystallinity, gelatinization temperatures, and enthalpies were preserved. The pressure effect on the starch properties depended on the property and species. The solubility, swelling power, and acorn gels' resistance towards deformation for both species decreased after pressurization. For Q. pyrenaica starch, the in vitro digestibility increased, but the pseudoplastic behavior decreased after pressurization. No differences were seen for Q. robur. Regarding the commercial starch, acorn starches had lower gelatinization temperatures and enthalpies, lower in vitro digestibility, lower resistance towards deformation, superior pseudoplastic behavior, and overall higher solubility and swelling power until 80 °C. This encourages the usage of acorn starches as a new food ingredient.

Lily Starch—An Underutilized and Non‐Conventional Source: Properties and Applications

AbstractLily belongs to the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae. Starch is the main component of lily bulbs which accounts for 53–69% of their dry weight. Lily starch (LS) has B‐type X‐ray diffraction characterized by a peak at 5.6°, 17°, 22°, and 24°. The swelling and solubility of the LS are significantly higher than rice and corn starches. The gelatinization temperatures of the LS are much lower than maize but higher than wheat and potato starches. The pasting temperature, peak, breakdown, and setback viscosities of lily starches are falling within the range; 66.1–72.7 °C, 1409–3940 cP, 88–1206 cP, and 445–1952 cP, respectively. The range for initial temperature, gelatinization temperature range, and enthalpy for lily starches is also 56.5–64.0 °C, 3.8–10.3 °C, and 3.9–13.9 J g−1, respectively. This review focuses on the recent advances in the understanding of the composition, structure, and properties of lily starches. Furthermore, the limited modification associated with lily starches is also discussed. There is a bold attempt to compare the properties of lily starch with that of the commercial starches of corn and potato.

Edible films produced from agrifood by-products and wastes

This study aims to develop edible films using agrifood by-products (pumpkin seeds, broken rice and orange pectin) and wastes (quince peel, potato peel, potato pulp, orange peel, pumpkin peel). The physicochemical characteristics of the films were investigated, including their mechanical and barrier properties. Higher amounts of plasticizer induced poorer mechanical and barrier properties in the films. The most promising ones were obtained with orange pectin, broken rice and pumpkin peel, with water contact angles (WCA) between 48° and 57°, maximum water vapor transmission rate and water vapor permeability of 575 g.m−2.d−1 and 108 × 10−12 g.Pa−1.s−1.m−1, respectively, Young's modulus between 350 and 800 MPa, maximum tensile strength between 9.0 and 26.25 MPa, and elongation at break between 2.28 and 9.3%. Orange pectin and broken rice are promising raw materials since they led to higher WCA, better barrier and mechanical properties. Broken rice and quince peel can be good substitutes for commercial starch and glycerol, respectively. Agro-industrial by-products and wastes revealed potential for the production of sustainable edible films.

The Digestibility and Bacterial Growth Rates of Microwave Treated Sago (Metroxylon sagu) Starch

Sago starch is rich in resistant starch (RS) but less utilised than other commercial starches. Hence, modification is essential to give an add-on value to the starch. Thus, the objective was to determine the influence of microwave heat treatment (MHT) on the digestibility and probiotic growth rates of sago starch. In this study, the starch was treated by MHT for durations of up to 20 min. The digestibility and bacterial growth rates increase as the treatment duration increases to 15 min. It implies the potential of the MHT in increasing the digestibility of the sago starch and improving its prebiotic property based on probiotic growth rates.

Loquat seed starch — Emerging source of non-conventional starch: Structure, properties, and novel applications

Recently, non-conventional sources of starch have attracted attention due to their potential to provide cost-effective alternatives to traditional starch. Among non-conventional starches, loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) seed starch is an emerging source of starch consisting of the amount of starch (nearly 20 %). It could be utilized as a potential ingredient due to its unique structure, functional properties, and novel applications. Interestingly, this starch has similar properties as commercial starches including high amylose content, small granule size, and high viscosity and heat stability, making it an attractive option for various food applications. Therefore, this review mainly covers the fundamental understanding of the valorization of loquat seeds by extracting the starch using different isolation methods, with preferable structural, morphological, and functional properties. Different isolation and modification methods (wet milling, acid, neutral and alkaline) are effectively used to obtain higher amounts of starch are revealed. Moreover, insight into various analytical techniques including scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction used to characterize the molecular structure of the starch are discussed. In addition, the effect of shear rate and temperature on rheological attributes with solubility index, swelling power, and color is revealed. Besides, this starch contains bioactive compounds that have shown a positive impact on the enhancement of the shelf-life of the fruits. Overall, loquat seed starches have the potential to provide sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to traditional starch sources and can lead to novel applications in the food industry. Further research is needed to optimize processing techniques and develop value-added products that can be produced at a large scale. However, there is relatively limited published scientific evidence on the structural and morphological characteristics of loquat seed starch. Thus, in this review, we focused on different isolation techniques of loquat seed starch, its structural and functional characteristics, along with potential applications.

Extraction and characterisation of starch from cassava (Manihot esculenta) agro-industrial wastes

This study has investigated the potential of extracting starch from cassava agro-industrial wastes, namely, cassava peel and bagasse, as a non-edible source and has developed an extraction method to maximise the starch extraction from these sources. Obtained extracts were characterised and their properties were compared with that of commercial cassava starch. The results demonstrated that cassava peel starch yield (30 ± 2 % wt.) was significantly higher than that from bagasse (8 ± 1 % wt.). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analyses revealed that starches extracted from cassava peels, bagasse and commercial starch had very similar morphology and functional groups. Main crystalline phase, α-amylose dihydrate identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) in peel, bagasse and commercial starches were 98.3(2) %, 98.5(1)% and 100% respectively. The highest percentage (by weight) of crystallinity phases: quartz (0.33%) and whewellite (1.53%) were detected in peel and bagasse starches respectively. Cassava peel and bagasse have been proven to be potential alternative sources of starch, and the excellent properties exhibited by the starch extracted from these sources suggest their potential applications as biodegradable food packaging matrices, as an alternative to the commonly used commercial cassava starch.

Modified Cassava Starches’ Identification through Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy and Exploratory Analysis

Different starch properties may cause alterations in the foodstuff’s external appearance. However, modification processes in starches are usually secretive. The use of chemically modified starches is regulated by international standards, which makes it important to identify its presence and type. Mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR)-modified starches’ identification can be hindered by the presence of excess glucose. This research investigates types of modification in commercial starches and in approaches that circumvent MIR’s limitations with exploratory analysis. It also considers that enzymatic hydrolysis (α-amylase and amyloglucosidase) can highlight the points of modification in the structure, which can be detected with infrared assays. To determine if sour cassava starch (FCS) is modified and check its type, six samples were selected: a native one, three of the most common cassava modified starches (etherified, esterified, and FCS), and two laboratory processed samples (Acid, Oxidized). The results showed that the sour cassava starch showed similarities with a commercial ester and an oxidized cassava starch, which may be due to the formation of a graft, corresponding to what the literature has already reported for corn starch treated with lactic acid and gamma radiation.

Effects of Feeding a Commercial Starch Binding Agent during Heat Stress on Enteric Methane Emission, Rumen Volatile Fatty Acid Contents, and Diet Digestibility of Merino Lambs

Twenty-four Merino lambs were allocated to three dietary treatment groups to determine the effects of a dietary starch and protein binding agent and heat stress on methane (CH4) emissions and rumen parameters. The diets were a wheat-based diet (WD), a 2% Bioprotect™ (Bioprotect™, RealisticAgri, Rutland, UK) treated wheat-based diet (BD), and a maize-based diet (MD) for 3 periods of 1-week duration. During Period 1 (P1) the lambs were maintained under thermoneutral conditions and at a 1.7 × Maintenance (M) level. During P2 and P3, the lambs were maintained under cyclic heat stress conditions and fed at 1.7 × M and 2.0 × M, respectively. Total CH4 production was lower for the BD diet than the WD diet, which in turn was lower than the MD diet (p < 0.001). Total CH4 production was lower during P2 than P1 with P3 intermediate (p = 0.04). Rumen total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentrations were higher for the WD diet than the MD diet with the BD diet intermediate (p = 0.01). Rumen TVFA concentrations were lower during heat stress than under thermoneutral conditions (p < 0.001). Whole tract starch digestibility was higher for the BD and WD diets than the MD diet (p < 0.001). In conclusion, feeding Merino lambs the BD diet reduces CH4 emissions without reducing starch digestibility.

Authenticating starch adulteration in sweet potato starch using small‐angle X‐ray scattering

SummaryAuthenticating the adulteration of sweet potato starch with other large‐scale‐produced commercial starches is an urgent matter to control the qualities of sweet potato starch and its related foods. This study discussed the application of small‐angle X‐ray scattering on authenticating the adulteration of sweet potato starch with cassava starch, maize starch and rice starch. Rice starch had a similar thickness of semi‐crystalline lamellae but cassava starch and maize starch exhibited different thicknesses of semi‐crystalline lamellae compared with sweet potato starch. The thickness of semi‐crystalline lamellae of mixed starches changed depending on the proportion of sweet potato starch (X) and obeyed the functions of Thickness = −0.01633X + 11.39637 (sweet potato starch‐cassava starch) and Thickness = −0.01768X + 11.5631 (sweet potato starch‐maize starch), respectively. These functions were then verified and confirmed their potential in the adulteration of sweet potato starch with cassava starch and maize starch but not rice starch.

Structural properties of coated papers with cellulosic nanofibres using different metering systems and drying technologies

Cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) can improve the quality of cardboard packaging. This work evaluates the ability of CNFs to impart barrier properties to commercial paper used in packaging. Three CNFs were tested: mechanical (m-CNFs), by TEMPO mediated oxidation (T-CNFs) and carboxymethylated (c-CNFs). Two metering systems (wound rod and blade micrometer) were used to apply one, five and 10 layers of CNFs suspensions, and two drying methods (hot air jet and contact with a hot polished surface in a speed dryer) were evaluated. The quality of the CNFs coated papers was measured by structural (thickness, roughness and air permeance) and optical properties (gloss) and visual appearance. c-CNFs coatings obtained the lowest air permeance values, from 0.1 to 0.01 μm/Pa·s depending on the number of coating layers, and were below those of commercial starch. T-CNFs also reduced air permeance at low weights, reaching 1.1 μm/Pa·s with one layer and 0.1 when five layers were applied. Five layers of m-CNFs were needed for good results. SEM images showed good coverage at low coat weight in c-CNFs and T-CNFs, whereas m-CNFs was unable to cover the base paper. With increased layers of m-CNFs, an adequate film was formed. c-CNFs had the highest fibrillation degree and acid group content, and was the CNFs coating with most potential as a coating for paper.

Physicochemical and digestive properties of Lipu taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) flour and starch

SummaryLipu taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) is a popular tuber crop in China. This study investigated the physicochemical and digestive properties of Lipu taro flour (LTF) and Lipu taro starch (LTS). The results showed that LTF was composed of LTS (79.13%) and non‐starch substances including protein (7.71%), lipid (0.32%), dietary fibre (2.13%), ash (1.05%) and moisture (9.17%). LTF had higher content of enzyme‐resistant starch (ERS, 36.52%) and the anon‐starch substances of protein and dietary fibre can inhibit the activity of digestive enzymes, which led to that LTF had a lower digestive degree during the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion than that of LTS. Moreover, LTS shared similar nutritional compositions including total starch (about 88%) and moisture (about 11%) to the commercial starches including rice, corn and wheat starches (RS, CS and WS, respectively). However, LTS showed the smallest particle size (0.485–7.211 μm) which conferred it the smallest DPn value (16725) compared with other high‐rapidly digestible starches (RDS) of RS and CS. The physical characteristics might have prevented the bonding of LTS to the digestive enzymes, leading to its lower digestive degree than that of RS and CS, and was comparable to the low‐RDS starch of WS. The results suggested that the consumption of LTF and LTS may not induce high glucose levels in human, suggesting Lipu taro is a healthy food.