Modified Starches Used in the Food Industry and Biomedical Applications

Starch is widely used in food products and as a biomaterial due to its attributes, such as compostability, availability, non-toxicity, and low cost. However, starch inherently may not be suitable for specific applications and must be modified to enhance its functionality. Starch modification can be performed using physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods that alter its physicochemical and structural properties. Physical methods involve altering the physical structure of starch without introducing chemical changes to its molecular composition and are simple and inexpensive. Chemical modifications involve exploiting the hydroxyl groups present in starch to introduce covalent bonds between starch molecules, whereas enzymatic modification targets the amylose content, the molecular mass, and the structure of amylopectin chains to selectively break down or modify specific chemical bonds within starch molecules. This chapter describes starch modification methods for its use in the food industry and as a biomaterial for biomedical applications such as wound healing and its prospects.