RESISTANT STARCH-A PROMISING FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENT
Authors: Kalal Archana Y. , Nidoni Udaykumar , Hiregoudar Sharanagouda , Katti Pramod 
Published: June 2024

Starch and components of plant cell walls make up the polysaccharides found in food. The main form of carbohydrate found in the majority of foods is starch. The two main components of starch are amylose and amylopectin. Raw starch is indigestible, and heating greatly increases the digestibility of starch. After cooking, the majority of the starch is digestible, but some portions are still difficult to digest (Raigond et al., 2015). Starch is categorised into three classes according to how easily it may be digested: easily digestible starch, moderately resistant starch, and resistant starch. "Resistant starch" (RS) is the term for the portion of dietary starch that does not break down or absorb in the small intestine but instead ferments in the colon to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). RS is the portion of ingested starch that is partially hydrolyzed but not entirely broken down, escapes via the small intestine, and enters the large intestine. It is calculated as the difference between the amount of starch hydrolyzed by amylolytic enzymes and the amount of glucose (made as the equivalent amount of starch) produced by these enzymes. According to the RS content, which ranges from minimal (1.0%) to extremely high (>15.0%), the food components are categorised. These include different cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, and their by-products (Goni et al., 1996). The determination of RS in raw and processed foods is required in order to give nutritional information to consumers and others. In order to effectively apply research findings on RS for food processing and nutritional applications, analytical methods for the determination of RS need to be compared. A standard procedure for estimating total and resistant starch from foods was devised (Englyst et al., 1992). RS is becoming increasingly essential not just for its functional qualities, but also for its nutritional value (Raigond et al., 2014). Because of its beneficial qualities such as swelling, viscosity increase, gel formation, and water binding capability, RS can be employed in a wide range of food products (Fausto et al., 1997). The food industry is looking at new ways to manufacture functional foods with added health advantages in order to meet the rising demand for such products. RS is a high GI food with a low-calorie content and a number of health advantages, including a good impact on gut flora, blood cholesterol, GI, and even diabetes management. It is a fortification tool that can be used to create low GI foods (Raigond et al., 2015). There are several methods available to alter the GI and rate of starch digestion. RS is added to food to enhance its physical qualities, including its texture, ability to retain water, processing stability, and nutritional value. In order to preserve the nutritional performance of foods containing RS, the stability of RS during processing is crucial (Thompson, 2000). There are several ways to make RS, including heat treatment, enzyme, enzyme heating, and chemical. The first commercial RS is made available by Starch Australia Ltd. as Hi-Maize. CrystalLean® (RS3), Novose® 240 (RS2), Novelose® 260 (RS2), Novelose® 330 (RS3), Eurylon® (RS2), Amyloomaize VII (RS2), and Neo-amylose (RS3) are further commercially available RSs (Raigond et al.,2014).