Ozone modification of arracacha starch: Effect on structure and functional properties

Arracacha starch presents interesting properties, such as a relatively low temperature of gelatinization and high paste clarity when compared with other commercial starches. Those characteristics can be very useful for industrial applications. However, the native arracacha starch presents some drawbacks that limit its further application, such as a weak gel and a high consistent paste. Therefore, modification techniques can expand its utilization. Ozone technology is a promising modification method, once studies reported that ozonation can decrease the apparent viscosity and increase the gel strength of different starch sources. Therefore, this work aimed to enhance arracacha starch properties (for instance, gel strength) by using ozone technology, in order to provide an alternative to the traditional oxidation chemical processes and to improve this starch's industrial applications. To achieve this, the effects of ozonation were evaluated in starch structure (granule and molecules) and properties, and possible industrial applications were suggested. The ozonation process promoted structural changes - reduction in the size of the molecules, formation of carbonyl and carboxyl groups, and an increase of reducing sugar content - that significantly affected the arracacha starch properties. Among the main results, it is worth highlighting the improved stability of paste clarity and hydrogels up to 250% stronger than the native one. Therefore, the ozonation process demonstrated to expand the arracacha starch industrial use.