Kithul palm (Caryota urens) as a new source of starch: Effect of single, dual chemical modifications and annealing on the physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of physical and chemical modifications on the physicochemical and in vitro digestibility of kithul starch. Starch isolated from kithul flour (Caryota urens) was subjected to physical and chemical modifications. The starch modification was verified by the presence of functional groups using Fourier transform Infrared spectral analysis (FT-IR). X-ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed that the kithul starch is A- type and the modifications did not change the crystalline pattern. However, the relative crystallinity showed significant changes. Chemical modifications increased the swelling and solubility. Pasting and thermal parameters of all modified starches showed significant changes as compared to native starch (NS). Acetylated oxidised starch (AOS) showed highest paste viscosities. Higher enthalpy of gelatinization (∆H_gel) and paste viscosity attributed to perfection and ordering of amorphous regions in annealed starch (ANS). All modifications significantly increased the resistant starch (RS) content than native starch (NS), which indicates its lower digestibility. The current study showed the single, dual chemical modifications and annealing, effectively modified the physicochemical and in vitro digestibility of kithul starch.