Starch nanoparticles prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis and self-assembly of short-chain glucans

Abstract

Enzymatic hydrolysis and self-assembly areconsidered promising methods for preparation of starchnanoparticles (SNPs) because they are environmentallyfriendly, and time- and cost-effective. These methods arebased on the self-assembly of short-chain glucans releasedfrom the a-1,6 bonds in amylopectin. Since their discovery,many studies have described the structural and physicochemicalproperties of self-assembled SNPs. Self-assembledSNPs can be prepared by two methods: using only thesoluble portion containing the short-chain glucans, or usingthe whole hydrolyzate including both insoluble and solublefractions. Although the structural and physical properties ofself-assembled SNPs can be attributed to the compositionof the hydrolyzates that participate in self-assembly, thisaspect has not yet been discussed. This review focuses onSNPs self-assembled with only soluble short-chain glucansand addresses their characteristics, including formationmechanisms as well as structural and physicochemicalproperties, compared with SNPs prepared with totalhydrolyzates.