Impact of Cassava Starch Varieties on the Physiochemical Change during Enzymatic Hydrolysis

The enzymatic modification of starch extends its industrial use to flavor delivery and probiotic encapsulants, among other uses. However, it is not known how starch from different cassava varieties responds to enzymatic hydrolysis. Starches from two Ecuadorian cassava varieties (INIAP 650, an edible starch, and INIAP 651, an industrial starch) were partially modified at three enzymatic hydrolysis degrees (0%, 30%, and 50%), and their physicochemical properties were assessed. The structural analysis revealed that both varieties showed progressive structural damage as hydrolysis increases, probably due to exo-hydrolysis. However, deeper pores were observed in INIAP 651 with the SEM analysis. The crystallinity percentage obtained by XRD analyses remained constant in INIAP 651 and decreased (by 26%) in INIAP 650 (p 0.05). However, the phase angle decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with the hydrolysis, being higher in the INIAP 650 variety than in the INIAP 651 variety. In general, the results indicate that the variety affects the response of the starch granule to enzymatic hydrolysis (noticeable in the principal component analysis, PCA) and opens up the possibility to modulate starch properties.This research was funded by Ecuadorian Research Network of Universities and Polytechnic Schools (REDU) through the project PI-REDU-2016-015.Peer reviewe