Resistant starch and its physicochemical properties

Abstract

Since the 1980s, it has been observed that a starch fraction was not digested in the small intestine, reaching the colon as a substrate for the bacterial flora. This fraction was called resistant starch and, from this time on, it was noticed that certain physiological effects, initially attributed to the dietary fiber, could also be attributed to the resistant starch. Several factors can be involved in its formation, and they, in turn, affect its physiological response. Therefore, the knowledge on the physicochemical aspects involved in the formation of the resistant starch becomes important.