Recent advancements in functionality, properties, and applications of starch modification with stearic acid: A review

Starch modifications using chemicals are widely used to improve the desirable properties of native starch. Starch modified with steric acid characterized the starch properties due to the formation of starch-steric acid complex. Structural and functional characteristics of modified starch are influenced by duration, starch-acid concentration ratio, and temperature during the reaction. The diffraction patterns of the starch-stearic acid complexes show a mixture of A-type/B-type and V-type patterns. Starch-stearic acid complexes are regarded as "Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)" and are thermally stable and exhibit high paste viscosity and non-gelling properties. Due to their reduced gelling ability and increased viscosity, they can be utilized as fat replacers. Starch stearate also has promising applications in drug delivery due to its biocompatibility and non-gelling properties, which can be utilized for controlled release systems. Additionally, its biodegradability and enhanced thermal stability make it an ideal candidate for use in environmentally friendly, biodegradable materials. Complexes also have the potential for food packaging applications due to their increased thermal stability and improved barrier properties due to the replacement of the hydroxyl group of starch with a hydrophobic functional group of stearic acid (SA). This review paper examines the reaction parameters involved in the SA modification of starches and explores the starch-SA complexes' impact on physicochemical factors, as well as key structural attributes and industrial applications.