Characterization and in vitro digestibility of potato starch encapsulated in calcium alginate beads

In this study, potato starch granules were encapsulated in calcium alginate beads (PS@CAB) with the aim of slowing starch digestion. The microstructure, gelatinization property, and in vitro digestibility of PS@CAB were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and in vitro simulated digestion experiment. The size of the fresh beads was about 2 mm and reduced to about 1 mm after drying. The encapsulation efficiency of starch was over 98%. Compared to the potato starch, the swelling power of PS20@CA2B decreased from 31.1 ± 0.4 g/g to 6.6 ± 0.4 g/g at 95 °C. DSC results showed that the peak gelatinization temperatures of potato starch encapsulated in the beads increased significantly (p