Starch Digestibility Protocols

Starch is a major energy source in the diet and is an easily absorbed form of carbohydrates. Maltose, maltotriose, and other branched oligosaccharides, glucose, and limit dextrins are produced when digestive enzymes hydrolyze starch in food. These branched oligosaccharides are then converted into glucose by the brush border enzymes. The percentage of starch absorbed in the small intestine is related to starch digestibility. A fraction of starch that can only be digested under specific circumstances is known as digestibility, a crucial metabolic reaction. In vitro and in vivo procedures are typically used to evaluate starch digestibility. Following various sample preparation techniques, different in vitro methodologies have been employed to assess starch digestibility of starchy foods. However, in-vivo approaches use experiments on human subjects to measure glycemic response. The glycemic index (GI), despite being time- and money-consuming, is the widely accepted assessment method for starch digestibility in the food industry. This chapter attempts to organize the starch digestibility methods under the headings of in vitro and in vivo methods. The chapter covers the theory of the method used, materials required, sample preparation, detailed procedure, observations, inferences, and precautions if applicable.