Starch Loading Research Articles

High Blood Glucose After Starch Loading in Young Women With Small Increase in Salivary Amylase: Another Crucial Role of Postprandial Salivary Amylase.

Salivary α-amylase plays a crucial role in the glucose metabolism. However, postprandial salivary α-amylase activity (SAA) and its relationship with blood glucose (BG) are poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated SAA and BG after starch loading in healthy young women. In 60 healthy non-obese young women, we investigated SAA, BG, and blood 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) after the consumption of 150 g rice (starch 48.8 g). Participants were classified into two groups based on the changes (Δ) in SAA from baseline at 60 min: small- and large-increase in ΔSAA groups (SI-ΔSAA and LI-ΔSAA). BG levels were significantly higher at 60, 90, and 120 min in participants with SI-ΔSAA (n = 31) than LI-ΔSAA (n = 29). Baseline 3HB concentration was also higher in participants with SI-ΔSAA. ΔSAA at 60 min was most closely and inversely correlated with BG and ΔBG at 90 min (r = -0.53 and -0.50, both P < 0.0001). Generalized linear model analysis also indicated that ΔSAA at 60 min was the most predictive of ΔBG at 90 min. Higher levels of BG and ΔBG were observed after starch loading in healthy young women with smaller increase in salivary amylase, suggesting another crucial role of postprandial salivary amylase for the postprandial glucose metabolism.

Enzymatic hydrolysis method for development of low glycemic index rice flour from temperate grown rice (var. Jehlum): Numerical optimization, rheological and spectroscopic characteristics

This study aimed at optimizing process protocols for development of low glycemic index (GI) rice flour (LGIRF) by employing enzymatic hydrolysis method using central composite rotatable design (CCRD). LGIRF was evaluated for pasting, farinographic, spectroscopic and microbiological attributes. Independent variables for optimization included concentrations of α-amylase (0.02–0.12 %), glucoamylase (0.02–0.24 %), as well as the incubation temperature (55–80°C). Resistant starch (RS), glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) were investigated as response variables. The optimum conditions for development of LGIRF with better quality were- α-amylase concentration of 0.040 %, glucoamylase concentration of 0.070 % and an incubation temperature of 60 °C. The results of mineral analysis revealed significantly (p < 0.05) lower levels of boron, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese in LGIRF, while iron and copper were significantly higher. The viscosity profile as evident from pasting profile and farinographic characteristics of LGIRF were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than native rice flour. 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic studies showed an increase in flexible starch segments and a decrease in amorphous portion of starch LGIRF, along with chemical shift alterations in carbons 1 and 4. Free fatty acids and total plate count were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in LGIRF although was within limits.

Adsorption performance and mechanism of a starch-stabilized ferromanganese binary oxide for the removal of phosphate

Effective removal of phosphate from water is essential for preventing the eutrophication and worsening of water quality. This study aims to enhance phosphate removal by synthesizing starch-stabilized ferromanganese binary oxide (FMBO-S), discover the factors, and investigate adsorption mechanisms. FMBO and FMBO-S properties were studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy, BET analysis, Polydispersity Index (PDI), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). After starch loading, the average pore diameter increased from 14.89 Å to 25.16 Å, and significantly increased the pore volume in the mesopore region. FMBO-S showed a PDI value below 0.5 indicating homogeneous size dispersity and demonstrated faster and higher adsorption capacity: 61.24 mg g−1 > 28.57 mg g−1. Both FMBO and FMBO-S adsorption data fit well with the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich models, indicating a chemisorption and multilayered adsorption process. The phosphate adsorption by FMBO was pH-dependent, suggesting electrostatic attraction as the dominant mechanism. For the FMBO-S, phosphate adsorption was favored in a wide pH range, despite the weaker electrostatic attraction as evident from the point of zero charge and zeta potential values, indicating ligand exchange as a main mechanism. Moreover, the XPS analysis shows a significant change in the proportion of Fe species for FMBO-S than FMBO after phosphate adsorption, indicating significant involvement of Fe. Meanwhile, phosphate adsorption was almost unaffected by the presence of Cl−, NO3−, and SO42− anions, whereas CO32− significantly reduced the adsorption capacity. This study revealed that FMBO-S could be a promising, low-cost adsorbent for phosphate removal and recovery from water.

Molecular dynamics simulations of the effect of starch on transport of water and ions through graphene nanopores.

We use molecular dynamics simulations to unravel the molecular level mechanisms underlying the structure and dynamics of water and ions flowing through nanoporous starch-graphene membranes. Our findings indicate that there is a significant tendency for the formation of short-range order in close proximity to the graphene membrane surface. This leads to a greater concentration of water and ions, suggesting strong interactions between the membrane and the saltwater solution. Furthermore, we found that the starch-graphene membrane was most efficient in sieving out ions when the starch loading is 15 wt.%, and the pore diameter is 14Å. At these conditions, the starch-graphene membrane showed a high water transport rate and maintained a high level of ion rejection. We investigated the effect of loading of starch and the pore diameter on the pressure-induced transport, structure, and dynamics of Na+, Cl-, and water using the GROMACS 2021.4 package. We further analyze the density profiles of water and ions in the context of ion-polymer and water-polymer interactions and provide mechanistic insights into the piston-induced flow of saltwater through the starch-graphene membranes using Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) software.

Nutritional and Physicochemical Properties and Safe Consumption of Jackfruit Seeds (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.)

Fruits and vegetable by-products such as peels, rinds, and seeds are the focus of functional food research. By-products from jackfruit like seeds are functional foods/ingredients. However, studies on jackfruit seeds’ nutritional, physicochemical properties and safe consumption are limited. Thus, this study aimed to determine the nutritional and physicochemical properties of raw, roasted, and boiled jackfruit seeds, as well as how these seeds could be safely consumed. The nutrient composition, total dietary fiber composition and fermentability, resistant starch, antinutrients, heavy metals, and microbial load were determined using standard methods. Jackfruit seeds are good source of protein (9.9–10.2g/100g), ash (3.3–3.8g/100g), carbohydrates (21.45–82.15g/100g), a high source of dietary fiber (12.11–13.83g/100g), resistant starch (19.9–25.6g/100g) and amylose (20.61–23.03g/100g). Phytic acid, tannic acid, heavy metals, and microbial parameters of raw and thermally processed jackfruit seed were within acceptable limits, except for the microbial parameters in raw seeds. The starchy structure of processed jackfruit seed expands its granules with increased surface area, leading to better digestion. In conclusion, processed jackfruit seed can be a potential functional food or ingredient. Consumers and food industry professionals should be aware of the beneficial effects of jackfruit by-products.

Antihyperglycemic and anti-type 2 diabetic activity of marine hydroquinone isolated from brown algae (Dictyopteris polypodioides).

Brown algae (Dictyopteris polypodioides) extract (DP) presented high inhibitory potential against α-amylase. The present study aims to isolate, purify and evaluate the antihyperglycemic and anti-type 2 diabetic activities of marine hydroquinone from DP. Marine hydroquinones were isolated using silica gel, HPLC, and NMR spectroscopy was used to identify compound 1 and compound 2 as zonarol and isozonarol, respectively. The anti-hyperglycemic and anti-type 2 diabetic activities of zonarol were investigated by invitro assay (α-amylase, α-glucosidase), Lineweaver-Burk plot and Type 2 diabetes mellitus model (T2DM) mice induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Zonarol had the highest content and the strongest inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (IC50 value of 6.03mgL-1) and α-amylase (IC50 value of 19.29mgL-1) in a competitive inhibition and mix-type manner, respectively. The maltose and starch loading tests revealed that zonarol significantly reduced postprandial glycemia after 30min loading (9.12 and 8.12mg/dL, respectively), compared to normal (11.37 and 12.37mg/dL, respectively). Zonarol exhibited pancreatic islet cell rejuvenation, as evidenced by increased pancreatic islet mass, and hence helps in the restoration of insulin levels and therefore improves the glucose metabolism in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Zonarol treatment in T2DM elevated abundant levels of main SCFAs (propionate, butyrate, and valeric acid), which are closely related to glucose metabolism homeostasis. Our finding indicates that zonarol could be used as a food supplement to treat hyperglycemia and diabetes.

Selected coffee (Coffea arabica L.) extracts inhibit intestinal α-glucosidases activities in-vitro and postprandial hyperglycemia in SD Rats

One of the therapeutic approaches for decreasing postprandial hyperglycemia is to retard absorption of glucose by the inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes, α-amylase, and α-glucosidases, in the digestive organs. Coffee consumption has been reported to beneficial effects for controlling calorie and cardiovascular diseases, however, the clear efficacy and mode of action are yet to be proved well. Therefore, in this study we evaluated in- vitro rat intestinal α-glucosidases and porcine α-amylase inhibitory activities as well as in vivo (Sprague–Dawley rat model) blood glucose lowering effects of selected coffee extracts. The water extracted Sumatra coffee (SWE) showed strong α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50, 4.39 mg/mL) in a dose-dependent manner followed by Ethiopian water extract (EWE) (IC50, 4.97) and Guatemala water extract (GWE) (IC50, 5.19). Excepted for GWE all the coffee types significantly reduced the plasma glucose level at 0.5 h after oral intake (0.5 g/kg-body weight) in sucrose and starch-loaded SD rats. In sucrose loading test SWE (p < 0.001) and EWE (p < 0.05) had significantly postprandial blood glucose reduction effect, when compared to control. The maximum blood glucose levels (Cmax) of EWE administration group were decreased by about 18% (from 222.3 ± 16.0 to 182.5 ± 15.4, p < 0.01) and 19% (from 236.2 ± 25.1 to 191.3 ± 13.2 h·mg/dL, p < 0.01) in sucrose and starch loading tests, respectively. These results indicate that selected coffee extract may improve exaggerated postprandial spikes in blood glucose via inhibition of intestinal sucrase and thus delays carbohydrate absorption. These in vitro and in vivo studies therefore could provide the biochemical rationale for the benefit of coffee-based dietary supplement and the basis for further clinical study.

Inhibition of α-Amylase, α-Glucosidase, and Lipase, Intestinal Glucose Absorption, and Antidiabetic Properties by Extracts of Erodium guttatum.

Erodium guttatum is widely used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases, including diabetes. In this study, we evaluated in vitro inhibitory activity of extracts of E. guttatum on α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase and then studied in vivo using different animal models. The results showed that the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of E. guttatum significantly inhibited digestive enzymes. The extracts of E. guttatum significantly reduced postprandial hyperglycemia after starch loading in normal rats. Additionally, extracts of E. guttatum significantly decrease the intestinal absorption of D-glucose. However, the methanolic extract of E. guttatum showed remarkable antidiabetic activity compared to the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of E. guttatum. In addition, the extracts significantly reduced blood sugar levels in albino mice and hematological and biochemical profiles. Therefore, the results of this study show that the extracts of E. guttatum have antidiabetic effects and could therefore be suggested in the management of type 2 diabetes.

Modification of ultrasonic machining of polyolefinic, starch-containing composite materials in the process of extrusion

Nowadays the problem of polymeric and bio-degradable materials producing aimed at the load decrease of the environment is paid more and more attention. The development and study of such materials are the main research priorities. In the field of polymeric and biodegradable materials producing the research of biocomposites on the basis of natural and synthetic polymers is made. A lot of attention is paid to questions of composition modification for the activation of the polymer matrix destruction. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of ultrasonic machining on the properties of polyolefinic starch-containing compositions and to get compositions with the accelerated period of biodestruction. The following materials were chosen for the research: polyethylene, polypropylene and starch as a filler. As the result of the performed research the following conclusions can be done: 1) the increase of the starch loading brings to the decrease of the physical and mechanical properties; 2) the effect of the ultrasonic machining on polymeric compositions increases deformative and strength properties, and helps to accelerate the process of destruction.

Jackfruit Starch Based Blends with Polyvinylpyrrolidone: Preparation, Structural Characterization, and Biodegradable Properties

AbstractStarch is extracted from the seeds of ripen jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) cultivated in Nepal by treating with distilled water and alkali solution. The properties of extracted starch are evaluated by measuring ash content, moisture content, and amylose content. A series of starch‐based biodegradable blends with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) are prepared through solution casting method and their biodegradable properties are studied. The blend is characterized by thickness measurement, water solubility test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), optical microscopy, and biodegradability test. The thickness measurement shows the linear increase in thickness of the blend with the addition of starch. The water solubility test reveals the higher solubility of PVP in water than that of the starch. FTIR spectra of PVP/thermoplastic starch (PVP/TPS) blends exhibit the existence of relevant functional groups of both starch and PVP, the peaks shifting, and the change in nature of the peaks after degradation. Optical microscopy reveals the nonuniform dispersion of starch particles in the PVP matrix and the appearance of holes and fractures in composite subjected to compost soil for degradation. The biodegradability study proves that the loading of starch to PVP accelerates the degradation process.

Polysaccharide-coated porous starch-based oral carrier for paclitaxel: Adsorption and sustained release in colon

A porous starch-based carrier coated with chitosan-phytic acid was designed for oral administration to improve drug delivery to the colon. Using hydrophobic paclitaxel as a model drug, improved drug loading (15.12% ± 0.31%) and entrapment efficiency (86.63 ± 1.30%) of porous starch were achieved by size/shape matching and adsorption force. Fluorescent paclitaxel particles inside starch were captured clearly. Furthermore, chitosan-phytic acid was added as a second protection since porous starch showed a dissolution rate of only 14.98–20.27% during the simulated digestion in stomach and small intestine, which was far lower than that of raw paclitaxel in porous starch (59.65 ± 2.57%). The release curve in the colon was also obtained and showed that 86.98 ± 2.90% of the drug was released. Finally, we verified the non-covalent interactions between starch and paclitaxel. This showed that the retention of paclitaxel into porous starch decreased once hydrogen bonding stopped. The hydrophobic CH-π effect provides a binding complementing contribution.

Curdlan production from cassava starch hydrolysates by Agrobacterium sp. DH-2.

Curdlan is an edible microbial polysaccharide and can be used in food, biomedical and biomaterial fields. To reduce the cost of curdlan production, this study investigated the suitability of cassava starch hydrolysates as carbon source for curdlan production. Cassava starch was hydrolyzed into maltose syrup using β-amylase and pullulanase at various enzyme dosages, temperature, time and addition order of two enzymes. The maltose yield of 53.17% was achieved at starch loading 30% by simultaneous addition β-amylase 210 U/g starch and pullulanase 3 U/g starch at 60°C for 9h. Cassava starch hydrolysates were used as carbon source for curdlan production by Agrobacterium sp. DH-2. The curdlan production reached 28.4g/L with the yield of 0.79g/g consumed sugar and molecular weight of 1.26 × 106Da at 96h with cassava starch hydrolysate at 90g/L initial sugar concentration. Curdlan produced from cassava starch hydrolysates was characterized using FT-IR spectra and thermo gravimetric analysis. This work indicated that cassava starch was a potential renewable feedstock for curdlan production.

Dietary carbohydrate intake is associated with the subgingival plaque oral microbiome abundance and diversity in a cohort of postmenopausal women

Limited research exists on carbohydrate intake and oral microbiome diversity and composition assessed with next-generation sequencing. We aimed to better understand the association between habitual carbohydrate intake and the oral microbiome, as the oral microbiome has been associated with caries, periodontal disease, and systemic diseases. We investigated if total carbohydrates, starch, monosaccharides, disaccharides, fiber, or glycemic load (GL) were associated with the diversity and composition of oral bacteria in subgingival plaque samples of 1204 post-menopausal women. Carbohydrate intake and GL were assessed from a food frequency questionnaire, and adjusted for energy intake. The V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from subgingival plaque samples were sequenced to identify the relative abundance of microbiome compositional data expressed as operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The abundance of OTUs were centered log(2)-ratio transformed to account for the compositional data structure. Associations between carbohydrate/GL intake and microbiome alpha-diversity measures were examined using linear regression. PERMANOVA analyses were conducted to examine microbiome beta-diversity measures across quartiles of carbohydrate/GL intake. Associations between intake of carbohydrates and GL and the abundance of the 245 identified OTUs were examined by using linear regression. Total carbohydrates, GL, starch, lactose, and sucrose intake were inversely associated with alpha-diversity measures. Beta-diversity across quartiles of total carbohydrates, fiber, GL, sucrose, and galactose, were all statistically significant (p for PERMANOVA p < 0.05). Positive associations were observed between total carbohydrates, GL, sucrose and Streptococcus mutans; GL and both Sphingomonas HOT 006 and Scardovia wiggsiae; and sucrose and Streptococcus lactarius. A negative association was observed between lactose and Aggregatibacter segnis, and between sucrose and both TM7_[G-1] HOT 346 and Leptotrichia HOT 223. Intake of total carbohydrate, GL, and sucrose were inversely associated with subgingival bacteria alpha-diversity, the microbial beta-diversity varied by their intake, and they were associated with the relative abundance of specific OTUs. Higher intake of sucrose, or high GL foods, may influence poor oral health outcomes (and perhaps systemic health outcomes) in older women via their influence on the oral microbiome.

Melt behavior of polypropylene‐co‐ethylene composites filled with dual component of sago and kenaf natural filler

AbstractA dual component natural filler system featuring discrete function appears to be suitable for modulating smooth flow of pseudo‐plastic into formulated biodegradable polymer composite. Polypropylene‐co‐ethylene (PPcoE) filled with sago starch and different kenaf powder loadings were compounded using co‐rotating twin‐screw extruder to produce dual component polymer composite. The flow characteristics of the composites were measured using capillary rheometer and Bagley corrections were performed to achieve the true rheological data. In addition, data collected from the twin‐screw extruder were used to calculate the composite apparent rheological value. The flow properties of PPcoE filled with sago starch (PPcoE/sago) exhibited deviation from the common non‐Newtonian thermoplastic flow paths at high shear rates. Interestingly, the addition of kenaf powder into the PPcoE/sago starch blend stabilized the melted composite flow stream. The calculation of interfacial tension revealed that the flow corrections were related to the phase selective localization of kenaf particle, which preferably embedded between the sago particles rather than in the surrounding PPcoE phase thus reducing the effect of sago clustering. At higher extrusion temperature, the extruded composite indicated sign of flow instability due to factors of high amount of kenaf powder loading and the degradation of sago starch and PPcoE chains.

Preparation and Evaluation of Biodegradation Performance of Potato Starch Mixed LDPE Polymer Composites

The potential of biodegradable polymers has long been appreciated. In this work, an attempt has been made to synthesize biodegradable polymer composite from potato starch and low density polyethylene (LDPE) with different ratios of starch (0%-15% w/w) by using an extruder. The structure and morphology of film surfaces was studied using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) respectively. The physical (density, water absorption), mechanical (tensile, flexural) and thermal (TGA and DTA) analyses of starch/LDPE bio-composites were evaluated through standard methods and instruments. Biodegradation tendency was investigated utilizing soil burial and Rockwell micro-hardness test.The results revealed that the density and water absorption of polymer blends increased with increasing the starch content in starch/LDPE composites. The tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with starch content whereas the elastic modulus, flexural strength and flexural modulus rose. The biodegradability of composites enhanced by increasing the starch content and the result was backed by weight loss during burial of the samples in soil for 90 days. Microhardness test also supported the biodegradation probability as hardness found to reduce extensively after soil burial. However, further study to decide the optimum starch loading alongwith some modifications to starch and LDPE is highly suggested to have a biodegradable LDPE polymer composite in a realistic time frame.

Optimisation of Tensile Strength and Weight Loss via Taguchi and Response Surface Method for Natural Rubber Latex Film Consisting Cassava Peel as a Bio-Based Filler

Disposal latex and synthetic rubber gloves is troublesome such that disposal via incineration and land fill may release poisonous gasses and contaminate soil and water, respectively. As solution to latex and synthetic rubber, biodegradable glove is extensively studied. A bio-based filler is extracted from food waste and blended into natural rubber latex (NRL) as a composite NRL. The effect of biodegradability of composite NRL was studied by varying the loading of bio-based filler in a form of starch dispersion and blended into NRL mixture. Herein some amount of starch can be extracted from cassava peel to be incorporated in NRL for a sustainable and yet biodegradable glove. Previous work on incorporation of cassava-peel filler in NRL has shown a biodegradability without compromising the pristine strength of NRL film at 50% loading starch. In this project, tensile strength and weight loss of prepared composite NRL films were optimised via Taguchi and Response Surface Method (RSM) by means of Design Expert software by varying starch/filler loading, curing temperature and curing drying duration. Due to inadequate data, the optimisation from that previous prepared composite NRL was compared with similar work which utilising NRL and bio-based filler. For Pulungan (2020) study, it can be concluded that the tensile strength of cassava peel starch biodegradable film has the best condition at 50°C to 60°C at approximately 5.5 hours. Elongation optimum conditions shows contrast value of temperature and time. Meanwhile, for Wendy (2020) study, it shows the best percentage loading of cassava-peel starch is at 20% to achieve high stress and strain at break. The optimised mechanical properties via Taguchi and RSM are rather different and hence validation on mechanical properties at above mentioned conditions need to be performed experimentally.

Starch-based biodegradable film with poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate): preparation, morphology, thermal and biodegradation properties

Starch was extracted from potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivated in Nepal. The yield of starch of different sorts of the species S. tuberosum was compared with each other. Extracted starch (E St.) Kufre Sindure was characterized and compared with commercial starch (Com St.) by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The properties of extracted starch were evaluated by measuring ash content, moisture content and amylose content. A series of butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT)/TPS blend of varying concentration (5%, 10%, 20% and 30%) were prepared using citric acid (compatibilizer) and glycerol as plasticizer, respectively, via solution casting method. The physical and chemical properties of resulting blends were characterized by FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The FTIR results proved the esterification reaction between PBAT, thermoplastic starch (TPS) and citric acid in blends. Morphology of the PBAT/TPS film was studied through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XPS analysis. Microindentation measurements revealed improvement in mechanical properties of PBAT with the loading of starch. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed decrease in the thermal stability of PBAT/TPS blend. Degradation behavior of blend showed that rate of degradation was increased with increase of starch content.

Functional cake from rice flour subjected to starch hydrolyzing enzymes: Physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility

Rice cake (RC) was prepared from rice flour subjected to starch hydrolyzing enzymes and studied for in vitro digestibility, glycemic response, morphological characteristics and storage stability. Moisture, water activity, carbohydrate, starch, glycemic index, glycemic load and energy values were significantly lower while, crude protein, fat, fiber, ash, resistant starch and dietary fiber were higher in RC than control (p<0.05). Significantly (p<0.05) higher batter viscosity but lower batter density was observed in hydrolyzed flour than control. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies revealed indistinguishable starch granules and covered mucilage coated compared to control. Storage studies revealed that RC exhibited non-significant increase in aw, moisture, free fatty acids (FFAs), hardness, cohesiveness and gumminess under both ambient and refrigerated conditions (p>0.05). Chewiness increased significantly after 0 day (p<0.05) however, springiness exhibited non-significant variation from2nd to 6th day of storage (p>0.05).Thus RC has lower energy, starch, glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) and higher resistant starch content and better storage stability than control.

Thermoformed Containers Based on Starch and Starch/Coffee Waste Biochar Composites

Biodegradable containers support zero-waste initiatives when alternative end-of-life scenarios are available (e.g., composting, bio digestion). Thermoplastic starch (TPS) has emerged as a readily biodegradable and inexpensive biomaterial that can replace traditional plastics in applications such as food service ware and packaging. This study has two aims. First, demonstrate the thermoformability of starch/polycaprolactone (PCL) as a thermoplastic material with varying starch loadings. Second, incorporate biochar as a sustainable filler that can potentially lower the cost and enhance compostability. Biochar is a stable form of carbon produced by thermochemical conversion of organic biomass, such as food waste, and its incorporation into consumer products could promote a circular economy. Thermoformed samples were successfully made with starch contents from 40 to 60 wt.% without biochar. Increasing the amount of starch increased the viscosity of the material, which in turn affected the compression molding (sheet manufacturing) and thermoforming conditions. PCL content reduced the extent of biodegradation in soil burial experiments and increased the strength and elongation at break of the material. A blend of 50:50 starch:PCL was selected for incorporating biochar. Thermoformed containers were manufactured with 10, 20, and 30 wt.% biochar derived from waste coffee grounds. The addition of biochar decreased the elongation at break but did not significantly affect the modulus of elasticity or tensile strength. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using starch and biochar for the manufacturing of thermoformed containers.

Gluten-free cookies with low glycemic index and glycemic load: optimization of the process variables via response surface methodology and artificial neural network

This research investigates the effect of baking temperature and time on the resistant starch (RS), glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of gluten-free cookies, optimized the processing parameter using a chemometrics approach of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN). The in-vitro starch digestibility of the formulated cookies exhibited a monophasic starch digestogram. Increase in resistant starch, and a decrease in the predicted GI of the cookies, was associated with low temperature and high baking time. The use of RSM and ANN modelling techniques accurately predict the RS, pGI and GL (coefficient of determinant, R2 > 0.93 and root mean square of error = 0.43–0.62) of the gluten-free cookies. The optimal condition for the production of cookies with high RS, low pGI and GL were baking temperature of 158 °C and baking time of 20 min with predicted RS value of 19.61 g/100g of dry starch, pGI value of 56.98 and GL value 52.64.