Impact of different organic acids on heat-moisture treated potato starch for enhancing prebiotic potential

This research verified the in vitro digestive properties of potato starch modified with citric acid (CA), malic acid (MA), and tartaric acid (TA), and evaluated its prebiotic potential. The resistant starch (RS) content in CA- or MA-modified starch was greater than that in native starch. Furthermore, after cooking, all modified starches exhibited an increase in RS content by 2.3 to 3.3 times compared to native starch, which has a 29.81% RS content, demonstrating high thermal stability. Probiotic bacteria demonstrated increased viability, raiging form 6.38–6.85 log CFU/mL, when cultured with modified starch, in contrast to 4.48 log CFU/mL with glucose. During animal testing, modified starches consistently improved gastrointestinal transit, fecal moisture, and lipid levels. Notably, CA-, MA- or TA-modified starches promoted beneficial bacteria growth by providing short-chain fatty acids, with CA-modified starch proving to be the most potent.