Effect of acetyl esterification on physicochemical properties of chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.) starch.

Acetyl esterification of isolated Bengal gram starch was carried out using acetic anhydride as reactant. Modification of native starch at variant concentrations of acetic anhydride (6, 8 and 10 %, w/w) resulted in modified starch with 2.14, 3.35, 4.47% acetyl content and 0.082, 0.130 and 0.176° of substitution (DS) respectively. The acetyl esterification of native starch brought significant changes in physicochemical properties with respect to pasting behavior, granule morphology, thermal properties and retrogradation profile. Acetyl modifications of native starch increased swelling capacity, water absorption power and oil absorption capability by 17, 13 and 20 % respectively. Acetylation has decreased pasting temperature, pasting time, final viscosity and set back viscosity due to increase in amylsoe content, hydrogen bonding and porosity of starch granule. The acetyl modification was confirmed by IR spectra with the presence of an ester carbonyl group (C = O) at 1720.3 cm(-1) and absorption band at 174.8 cm(-1). In DSC evaluation there was decrease in To, Tp, Tc and ΔH of acetylated starch than native starch which resulted in reduced retrogradation by 56 %.