Chemical, Structural, Technological Properties and Applications of Andean Tuber Starches: A Review

Andean tubers are an ancient food crop of the Inca culture, and recently, there has been interested in determining their compounds, which can be applied as ingredients in food preparations. This review aimed to analyze the actual knowledge of the chemical, structural, technological properties and applications of Andean tuber starches reported in scientific journals and propose some end-uses. Andean tuber starches showed amylose contents between 16.5-35.3%, which influenced the physicochemical and functional properties. Few studies have reported structural features such as molecular weight, gyration radius, and amylopectin chains' chain-length distribution. More studies on structural characteristics are necessary to find structure-function relationships and suggest applications of those starches obtained from underused Andean tubers.

Automated summary

This review analyzed the current knowledge of chemical, structural, technological properties, and applications of Andean tuber starches. It was found that the amylose content of Andean tuber starches influenced their physicochemical and functional properties. Limited studies have reported structural features, and further research is needed to explore the structure-function relationships and suggest applications for underused Andean tuber starches.