Study on the physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility of starch from yam with different drying methods

Summary Four methods were applied to dry yam slices, and then, starches were isolated from dried yam slices. Starch isolated from fresh yam was as the study control, and physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility of starches were studied. The results showed that the amylose content ranged from 12.62% to 28.25%, water‐binding capacity ( WBC ) from 111.67% to 262.88%, paste clarity from 2.1% to 6.23%, resistant starch ( RS ) from 66.60% to 88.49% and crystallinity from 11.27% to 25.52%. Compared with the control starch, hot air‐drying at 60 °C significantly decreased amylose content, paste clarity, RS and crystallinity, while increasing the WBC . Low levels of rapidly digestible starch and glucose and high RS levels were found in the starch from freeze‐drying yam. Digestibility of the starches was significantly correlated with amylose content, WBC , paste clarity and swelling power. The starch samples were divided into three groups by principal component analysis ( PCA ).