The Properties, Modification, and Application of Banana Starch

Development of curcumin integrated smart pH indicator, antibacterial, and antioxidant waste derived Artocarpus lakoocha starch-based packaging film

Monitoring of food freshness is considered one of the crucial challenges for both customers/consumers and the food industries. In this study, we developed a curcumin-based starch film (F1) for pH-sensitive intelligent food packaging application. The starch was obtained from waste seeds of Artocarpus lakoocha (NS-MJF). The native starch underwent various physical and chemical modifications to yield modified starches (S1 [Autoclave heat treated], S2 [osmotic-pressure treated], S3 [citric acid treated]). The native starch was then used further for the formation of curcumin (2.5 % w/w)-based film (F1). We had analyzed these starches for solubility, colour analysis, biodegradability, oil absorption capacity, and moisture content, etc. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed favourable microstructures. The addition of curcumin to the starch enhanced the contact angle and elongation at the break of the resulting films. Antioxidant and antimicrobial assays, along with real-time freshness monitoring of chicken fillets, were also conducted. Thus, our findings may contribute to the optimization of pH-responsive biopolymer-based films for intelligent poultry packaging, promising advancements in food preservation and safety.

Banana starch modified by heat moisture treatment and annealing: Study on digestion kinetics and enzyme affinity

Starch modification by annealing (ANN) and heat-moisture treatment (HMT) results in a lower crystallinity compared to native but the change of B crystalline type to A type is only observed in HMT starch. All starches possess two different digestion rate constants i.e. k1 (at rapid phase) and k2 (at slow phase) which may be linked to the preserved intact starch granule following thermal treatment. HMT starch contains higher content of slowly digestible starch (C2∞) compared to the C2∞ of the other starches. The lower enzyme binding to HMT starch (Kd value increases from 0.12 mg/mL in native starch to 0.83 mg/mL) may be linked to the increase in the degree of ordered structure of the granule surface (observed from the absorption band ratio of 1000 cm-1/1022 cm-1). The lower affinity may lead to a lower k1 value. This holds true for ANN and native starch which displays similar k1, Kd value and degree of ordered to disordered structure. Lower k2 in HMT starch compared to the corresponding k2 in the other starches may be linked to the slower enzyme diffusion into the core of starch granule due to the tightly packed structure of A crystalline type in HMT starch.

Investigation of the in vitro biological activities of polyethylene glycol-based thermally stable polyurethane elastomers

The intense urge to replace conventional polymers with ecofriendly monomers is a step towards green products. The novelty of this study is the extraction of starch from the biowaste of wheat bran (WB) and banana peel (BP) for use as a monomer in the form of chain extenders. For the synthesis of polyurethane (PU) elastomers, polyethylene glycol (PEG) bearing an average molecular weight Mn = 1000 g mol-1 was used as a macrodiol, which was reacted with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) to develop NCO-terminated prepolymer chains. These prepolymer chains were terminated with chain extenders. Two series of linear PU elastomers were prepared by varying the concentration of chain extenders (0.5-2.5 mol%), inducing a variation of 40 to 70 wt% in the hard segment (HS). Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the formation of urethane linkages. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed a thermal stability of up to 250 °C. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed a storage modulus (E') of up to 140 MPa. Furthermore, the hemolytic activities of up to 8.97 ± 0.1% were recorded. The inhibition of biofilm formation was investigated against E. coli and S. aureus (%), which was supported by phase contrast microscopy.

Characterization of green banana starch from "Songkibab" species cultivated in the southern part of Korea

Resistant starch (RS) has advantages for regulating the colon health as prebiotics and dietary fibers, and green banana has interested due to containing high amounts of RS. Here, the structural, physicochemical, and digestible characteristics of green banana starch from newly bred Songkibab (SB) were determined to evaluate its suitability for application as a new crop in response to global warming and for obtaining genetic diversity. SB starch has structural similarities to the Cavendish (CD) banana, which is widely consumed in Southeast Asia, in its ratio of B3-chains (in high amounts), flattened shapes of smooth surfaces, and B-type crystallinity. Physiochemically, SB shows comparable swelling power, amylose content, and viscosity pattern but a higher RS content. Conclusively, this study suggests that SB banana may be a good resource for replacing CD species with novel varieties in East Asia because of the high degree of similarity in the various characteristics.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01331-z.

The Effect of Dual-Modification by Heat-Moisture Treatment and Octenylsuccinylation on Physicochemical and Pasting Properties of Arrowroot Starch

Starch is widely applied in various industrial sectors, including the food industry. Starch is used as a thickener, stabilizer, or emulsifier. However, arrowroot starch generally has weaknesses, such as unstable under heating and acidic conditions, which are generally applied to processing in the food industry. Modifications were applied to improve the characteristics of native arrowroot starch. In this study, arrowroot starch was modified by heat-moisture treatment (HMT), octenylsuccinylation (OSA), and dual modification between OSA and HMT in a different sequence--namely, HMT followed by OSA, and OSA followed by HMT. This study aims to determine the effect of different modification methods on the physicochemical and functional properties of native arrowroot starch. The result shows that both single HMT and dual modification caused damage to native starch granules, such as the formation of cracks and roughness. For single OSA treatment, especially, there is no significant change in granule morphology after modification. All modification treatments did not change the crystalline type of starch but reduced the RC of native starch. Both single HMT and dual modifications (HMT-OSA, OSA-HMT) increased pasting temperature and setback, but, conversely, decreased the peak and the breakdown viscosity of native starch, whereas single OSA had the opposite trend compared with the other modifications. HMT played a greater role in increasing the thermal stability and the retrogradation ability of arrowroot starch. Both single modifications (HMT and OSA) increased the hardness and gumminess of native starch, and the opposite was true for the dual modifications. HMT had a greater effect on color characteristics, where the lightness and whiteness index of native arrowroot starch decreased. Single OSA modification increased swelling volume higher than dual modification. Both single HMT and dual modifications increased water absorption capacity and decreased the oil absorption capacity of native arrowroot starch.

Modification of Starches and Flours by Acetylation and Its Dual Modifications: A Review of Impact on Physicochemical Properties and Their Applications

Various modification treatments have been carried out to improve the physicochemical and functional properties of various types of starch and flour. Modification by acetylation has been widely used to improve the quality and stability of starch. This review describes the effects of acetylation modification and its dual modifications on the physicochemical properties of starch/flour and their applications. Acetylation can increase swelling power, swelling volume, water/oil absorption capacity, and retrogradation stability. The dual modification of acetylation with cross-linking or hydrothermal treatment can improve the thermal stability of starch/flour. However, the results of the modifications may vary depending on the type of starch, reagents, and processing methods. Acetylated starch can be used as an encapsulant for nanoparticles, biofilms, adhesives, fat replacers, and other products with better paste stability and clarity. A comparison of various characteristics of acetylated starches and their dual modifications is expected to be a reference for developing and applying acetylated starches/flours in various fields and products.

Application of Composite Flour from Indonesian Local Tubers in Gluten-Free Pancakes

Pancakes are fast food snacks that are generally made with wheat flour as the basic ingredients, which is an imported commodity and detrimental for people who are allergic to gluten. To reduce the use of wheat, alternative raw materials derived from local commodities are used, such as modified cassava flour (mocaf), arrowroot flour, and suweg flour. The experiment was carried out by mixing mocaf flour, arrowroot flour, and suweg flour to produce composite flour with a ratio of 70:15:15 (CF1), 70:20:10 (CF2), and 70:20:5 (CF3). The result showed that the ratio of mocaf flour, arrowroot flour, and suweg flour had a significant effect on pasting temperature, peak viscosity, hold viscosity, breakdown viscosity, setback, L*, a*, hue, whiteness, ∆E, as well as swelling volume and solubility on the characteristics of the composite flour. There was also a significant effect on the texture characteristics of hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness, color characteristics L*, a*, whiteness, ∆E, and flavor preference for the gluten-free pancake products. The best formulation to produce pancakes that have characteristics similar to wheat flour-based pancakes was 70% mocaf flour, 15% arrowroot flour, and 15% suweg flour.

Properties Comparison of Oxidized and Heat Moisture Treated (HMT) Starch-Based Biodegradable Films

Starch-based biodegradable films have been studied for a long time. To improve starch properties and to increase film characteristics, starch is commonly modified. Amongst different types of starch modifications, oxidation and heat moisture treatment are interesting to explore. Unfortunately, review on these modifications for film application is rarely found, although these starch modifications provide interesting results regarding the starch and film properties. This paper aims to discuss the progress of research on oxidized and heat moisture-treated-starch for edible film application. In general, both HMT and oxidation modification on starch lead to an increase in film's tensile strength and Young's modulus, suggesting an improvement in film mechanical properties. The elongation, however, tends to decrease in oxidized starch-based film, hence more brittle film. Meanwhile, HMT tends to result in a more ductile film. The drawback of HMT film is its lower transparency, while the opposite is observed in oxidized films. The observation on WVP (water vapor permeability) of HMT starch-based film shows that the trend of WVP is not consistent. Similarly, an inconsistent trend of WVP is also found in oxidized starch films. This suggests that the WVP parameter is very sensitive to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Starch source and its concentration in film, film thickness, RH (relative humidity) of film storage, oxidation method and its severity, plasticizer type and its concentration in film, and crystallinity value may partly play roles in determining film properties.

Starch Nanoparticles: Preparation, Properties and Applications

Starch as a natural polymer is abundant and widely used in various industries around the world. In general, the preparation methods for starch nanoparticles (SNPs) can be classified into 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' methods. SNPs can be produced in smaller sizes and used to improve the functional properties of starch. Thus, they are considered for the various opportunities to improve the quality of product development with starch. This literature study presents information and reviews regarding SNPs, their general preparation methods, characteristics of the resulting SNPs and their applications, especially in food systems, such as Pickering emulsion, bioplastic filler, antimicrobial agent, fat replacer and encapsulating agent. The aspects related to the properties of SNPs and information on the extent of their utilisation are reviewed in this study. The findings can be utilised and encouraged by other researchers to develop and expand the applications of SNPs.

Potential Health Benefits of Banana Phenolic Content during Ripening by Implementing Analytical and In Silico Techniques

Banana ranks as the fifth most cultivated agricultural crop globally, highlighting its crucial socio-economic role. The banana's health-promoting benefits are correlated with its composition in bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds. Thus, the present study attempts to evaluate the potential health benefits of banana phenolic content by combing analytical and in silico techniques. Particularly, the total phenolic content and antioxidant/antiradical activity of banana samples during ripening were determined spectrophotometrically. In parallel, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis was implemented to unravel the variations in the phenolic profile of banana samples during ripening. Chlorogenic acid emerged as a ripening marker of banana, while apigenin and naringenin were abundant in the unripe fruit. In a further step, the binding potential of the elucidated phytochemicals was examined by utilizing molecular target prediction tools. Human carbonic anhydrase II (hCA-II) and XII (hCA-XII) enzymes were identified as the most promising targets and the inhibitory affinity of phenolic compounds was predicted through molecular docking studies. This class of enzymes is linked to a variety of pathological conditions, such as edema, obesity, hypertension, cancer, etc. The results assessment indicated that all assigned phenolic compounds constitute great candidates with potential inhibitory activity against CA enzymes.

A Mini Review of Physicochemical Properties of Starch and Flour by Using Hydrothermal Treatment

Starch and flour from various plants have been widely used for sundry applications, especially in the food and chemical industries. However, native starch and flour have several weaknesses, especially in functional, pasting, and physicochemical properties. The quality of native starch and flour can be improved by a modification process. The type of modification that is safe, easy, and efficient is physical modification using hydrothermal treatment techniques, including heat moisture treatment (HMT) and annealing (ANN). This review discusses the hydrothermal modifications of starch and flour, especially from various tubers and cereals. The discussion is mainly on its effect on five parameters, namely functional properties, morphology, pasting properties, crystallinity, and thermal properties. Modification of HMT and ANN, in general, can improve the functional properties, causing cracking of the granule surface, stable viscosity to heat, increasing crystallinity, and increasing gelatinization temperature. However, some modifications of starch and flour by HMT and ANN had no effect on several parameters or even had the opposite effect. The summary of the various studies reviewed can be a reference for the development of hydrothermal-modified starch and flour applications for various industries.

Freeze Moisture Treatment and Ozonation of Adlay Starch (Coix lacryma-jobi): Effect on Functional, Pasting, and Physicochemical Properties

Adlay starch has great potential as a cereal starch, but it has several weaknesses, namely a low swelling volume, low solubility, and low stability. The purpose of this study was to improve the characteristics of adlay starch, such as porosity, functional properties, and pasting properties, through starch modification using freeze moisture treatment (FMT) and ozonation. This study consisted of several treatments, namely FMT, ozonation, and a combination of FMT + ozonation. The results show that the FMT and ozonation generally increased water absorption capacity, swelling volume, solubility, and number of pores of the starch granule. The pasting properties showed an increase in the viscosity of the hot paste and caused a decrease in the gelatinization temperature, breakdown, and setback viscosity. FMT 70% + ozonation produced modified adlay starch with a porous granular surface, swelling volume value of 21.10 mL/g, water absorption capacity of 1.54 g/g, a solubility of 9.20%, and an increase in the amorphous structure but did not cause the emergence of new functional groups. The combination of FMT + ozonation was effective in improving the functional, pasting, and physicochemical properties of adlay starch.