Thermal, Morphological, and Functional Characterization of Gros Michel Banana Starch Modified with Octenyl Succinic Anhydride

Banana is a food crop produced extensively in Colombia for fresh consumption. This fruit in the green state has a large amount of starch, which—unlike other Musaceae—has a small granule size that makes it attractive for use in the food industry. This work characterizes physicochemically, morphologically, structurally, and functionally isolated and modified starches from Gros Michel banana. This characterization uses techniques like SEM, XRD, FTIR, DSC, RVA, and HPLC. The results show a morphological change, given that the granules display superficial adherence of small masses. The IR spectra shows molecular vibrations in the modified starch at 1578 and 1745 cm⁻¹; the X-ray diffraction patterns show alteration of the 3D starch structure, given that it changes in large proportion from a hexagonal to a monoclinic conformation after the modification. The maximum viscosities obtained via RVA change from 1380 cP for the isolated starch to 1247 cP for the modified starch. The amylopectin/amylose ratio is altered after the modification, going from 75/25 to 87/13. Modified starches are a viable alternative for use in the food industry as additives to stabilize emulsions that do not need high processing temperatures.