Analytical Tools for Starch Characterization

Starch is a plant-based, granular biological macromolecule with versatile molecular, functional, and nutritional properties. Starch has been extensively researched for morphological, structural, physicochemical, and nutritional properties. Being the most abundantly available edible polysaccharide, the use of starch in foods and biodegradable nonfood systems is inevitable. Extensive industrial usage necessitates starch characterization creating need for further developing and using the appropriate characterization tools. Starch has been synergistically looked from nutritional as well as material science perspectives. Being naturally granular and varied in shape and size, its unique construction pattern had always been a topic of curiosity. Arrangement of amylose and amylopectin within the glycosidic matrix has been greatly debated throughout the last century. Versatility in processed properties, especially gelatinization and retrogradation, and their resulting product characteristics have been widely reported. Digestibility of starch has been a matter of research for the nutrition-aware modern global human population. Concepts of rapidly digestible starch and resistant starch attained consumer popularity at a very rapid rate. In this chapter, different popular tools used for microscopic viewing, molecular and micro-constructional assessment, thermal characterization, rheology measurement, and digestibility analysis have been discussed to support future researchers with the basic knowledge on the principles and working of the analytical tools.