Translated from German, starch means "strong flour." Being a complex natural polymer, starch consists of two polymers: amylose (25%) and amylopectin (75%). Outwardly, starch is a white substance that does not have taste or smell, practically insoluble in cold water, but swells in hot water, while acquiring the properties of a paste. When compressed with fingers, the white powder emits a characteristic creak. When viewed under a microscope, the granular structure of starch can be seen .
Initially, when starch is broken down, a dextrin polysaccharide is formed, a product of partial starch breakdown. You can get dextrins by quickly heating starch containing 10-20% water.
A starch degradation product such as dextrin has found widespread use in the national economy. Dextrins are used for the production of adhesives used in various industries, for example, for labeling containers or for gluing packaging bags. In foundry, dextrin is used to bond molding sand, and in light industry, to increase the thickness of textile paints. Dextrin has found application in the food industry as the main carrier of food powders and dyes.
Further, when starch is broken down, maltose disaccharide and a simple glucose carbohydrate are formed .
Maltose, which consists of two glucose molecules, has another name - malt sugar, which is used in distilling and brewing. In nature, it is found in large quantities in germinated cereal grains, especially a lot of maltose in barley and rye. Pure maltose is made exclusively for laboratory purposes in small quantities.
Starch is a complex carbohydrate and is found in the stems and leaves of most plants, it is a nutrient produced by plants in reserve. Since ancient times, people have been using starch-rich cereals such as rice, wheat, rye, and others for food. Potatoes are also rich in starch, and potato starch is the most popular and common. This substance is one of the most important products for the human body. The breakdown of starch by the human digestive system occurs under the influence of enzymes, while the decomposition of the substance begins in the human mouth. Human saliva containing the enzyme A-amylase partially converts starch into maltose.
In the gastric environment, starch breakdown does not occur due to the inactivity of the enzyme A-amylase in the acid-containing environment of the stomach. That is why the initial thorough chewing of food is of great importance for the further breakdown and assimilation of starch by the human body. In the duodenum, under the influence of A-amylase contained in the gastric juice, maltose bisaccharide is formed when starch is cleaved. Moreover, maltose quickly breaks down into two glucose molecules, which are absorbed by the human body thanks to the insulin secreted by the pancreas, without which glucose uptake by the human body is impossible. When starch is broken down, glucose is formed, and the process of glucose uptake is gradual, which leads to a significant reduction in the load on the pancreas system, therefore, the consumption of a sufficient amount of plant starch in food can serve as a prevention of diabetes.
Thus, the final starch breakdown product is glucose, the most famous simple carbohydrate needed to nourish brain tissue and various human muscles.
Starch is widely used in the food industry, it is one of the multifunctional auxiliary products. It is mainly used as a part of thickeners and stabilizers to give products an appropriate look and texture.