Development and utilization of duckweed starch as an emerging starch resource: A review
Dongjing Han1, Lingjin Li2, Danli Jin3
1State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
Abstract:
Starch resources are highly valued in food processing for their superior functional properties. The source of starch greatly affects food quality. Duckweed exhibits superior resilience, minimal maintenance requirements, rapid biomass accumulation, and high starch yields, positioning it as a sustainable solution to address shortages of traditional starch resources under extreme conditions. However, research on duckweed starch has primarily focused on a limited number of species and methods for inducing starch accumulation and energy production. Meanwhile, systematic research on structural and functional characteristics is lacking. This review discusses starch accumulation methods and the progress in research on starch extraction of duckweed. Additionally, it presents the structural and functional characteristics of duckweed starch while discussing advanced perspectives for its application. Understanding the abiotic stresses and structural traits of duckweed starch will facilitate its resource utilization, thereby diversifying the global starch resource reservoir.
