In vitro digestibility of normal and waxy corn starch is modified by the addition of Tween 80

Aqueous dispersions of normal and waxy corn starch (3% w/w) were mixed with Tween 80 (0, 7.5, 15, 22.5 and 30 g/100 g of starch), and gelatinized (90 °C, 20 min). Optical microscopy of the gelatinized starch dispersions (GSD_x; x = Tween 80 concentration) revealed that the microstructure was characterized by a continuous phase of leached amylose and amylopectin entangled chains, and a dispersed phase of insoluble remnants, called ghosts, on whose surface small granules were observed, imputed to Tween 80. The apparent viscosity of the GSD_x decreased as the concentration of Tween 80 increased (up to about 70–90%). FTIR analysis of dried GSD_x indicated that Tween 80 addition decreased short-range ordering. The content of rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and resistant starch (RS) fractions tended to increase significantly, at the expense of a significant decrease of slowly digestible starch (SDS) fraction, an effect that may be attributed to the increase of amorphous structures and starch chain-surfactant complexes. The RDS and RS increase was more pronounced for normal than for waxy corn starch, and the significance of the increase was dependent on Tween 80 concentration. Overall, the results showed that surfactant can affect largely the digestibility of starch chains.