Investigation Of Resistant Starch

Investigation of Resistant Starch

Advanced Research in Starch

This book focuses on the various invasive and non-invasive techniques which can be used for the characterization of starch macromolecules along with, the various types of physical, chemical, and enzymatic modifications of starch to enhance its usage in the food industry. It discusses various biophysical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, and second harmonic generation microscopy for the understanding of the Physico-chemical properties of starch. The book also sheds light on the visual, rheological characterization of different types of starches that are responsible for altered digestibility. The chapters also cover the applications of starch in food industries, non-food industries, pharmaceuticals, drug delivery systems, and green flexible electronics. Towards the end, the book reviews the chemical, physical, and enzymatic modifications of the starch for improving its properties and applications. This book provides a valuable reference for students and researchers in the field of food science and technology, food science, and nutrition.

Dietary Fiber

Twenty years ago the very idea of an international conference on the fiber contained in plant food would have been totally inconceivable. At that time fiber was generally viewed as an inert component of food of no nutritional value and consequently consid ered as a contaminant, the removal of which would enhance the purity of a product. It was measured by a now obsolete and almost worthless test introduced in the last century for veterinary rather than human nutrition, and what was measured was referred to as "crude fiber," containing part of the cellulose and lignin but none of the numerous components of fiber now known to play important roles in the maintenance of health. There were a few lone voices prior to the last two decades who had extolled the laxative properties of the undigested portion of food, assuming that these were related to its irritant action on the bowel mucosa. In retrospect this was a total misconception, and "softage" would have been a more appropriate term than "roughage," since its presence insured soft, not irritating, colon content.