High pressure treated corn starch as an alternative carrier of molecules of nutritional interest for food systems

DELADINO L.; SCHNEIDER TEIXEIRA A.; MOLINA GARCÍA A.D.; NAVARRO A.S.

Applications of Novel Polymers for Encapsulation of Nutraceutical Compounds

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2017; p. 35 - 58

Corn starch is considered a good vehiculization media for delivering bioactive compounds as supplements or health promoting additives. High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) treatment has been used to gelatinize or provoke modifications in starch dispersions. Pressure values of 600 MPa are necessary to fully gelatinize most starch types but lower pressures (300-400 MPa) are enough to cause partial alterations in its granular structure. HHP gelatinized starch shows different properties from the heat-gelatinized one and the generated microstructural changes favor the binding of compounds and their release during digestion. The ability of corn starch treated by HHP to bind and carry zinc and magnesium salts and natural antioxidants of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) extracts is described as a case study. Also, the stage at which active compounds are incorporated (before or after HHP treatment) is considered as a process variable. The effect of high pressure treatment is evidenced by changes in the shape, surface appearance and microstructure of starch granules, observed with scanning electron microscopy, and on the extent of starch granule gelatinization quantified by calorimetric measurements. An increased granule specific surface area, as detected by nitrogen adsorption, is also an advantage of HHP treatment. This increase in surface is due to the generation of pores which favor the adsorption of mineral salts and yerba mate hydrosoluble polyphenols. Significantly high amounts of these bioactive compounds are loaded by the HHP treated starches; however native starch could be also an appropriate antioxidant carrier as well. An important feature to highlight is that the antioxidant activity is maintained after high pressure treatment without changing the yerba mate polyphenols profile. Starch granule partially gelatinized by HHP is a promising carrier for different compounds with food applications and the range of possible carried molecules can be very wide.