β – Glucanos en almidón nativo de fruta pan y su potencial uso en alimentos funcionales

Abstract

The main objective of the research was to determine β – glucans content present in native starch from breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) cultivated in Ecuador southern coast and its potential use in functional foods. The starch was obtained throughout the wet method; the sample was subjected to β-glucosidase enzymatic action to determine β-glucan content; glucose content was then quantified through visible UV spectrophotometry techniques at a wavelength of 510 nm. The starch percentage present in the breadfruit cultivar was 55.40%, whereas the β-glucan content was 4.39%. This value reported is higher than those reported previously for some cereals such as oats, barley, rye, wheat, among others, widely used in the food industry. The β-glucans content, present in native starch of breadfruit, makes this cultivar an interesting source of starch to be considered, as a matrix or input, in the manufacturing of nutraceuticals or functional foods.

Keywords

• Β-glucans
• Breadfruit
• glucosidase
• UV visible spectrophotometry