Physicochemical, enzymatic and fermentation modifications improve resistant starch levels and prebiotic properties of porang (Amorphophallus oncophyllus) flour

SummaryPorang tubers (Amorphophallus oncophyllus) are one of the Araceae family plants, which naturally contain resistant starch (RS). The RS is able to provide health impacts such as reducing the glycaemic index (GI), preventing the formation of gallstones and cardiovascular disease, and increasing mineral absorption. This research aims to improve the RS and prebiotic properties of porang flour through physical, chemical, enzymatic and microbiological modifications. Research methods include modification with physical treatment of autoclaving‐cooling one and two cycles (AC‐1S and AC‐2S), microwave‐cooling (MWC), heat moisture treatment (HMT), annealing (ANN), chemical treatment with acid hydrolysis (HA), enzymatic treatment with pullulanase debranching (DP) and microbiological treatment with combined heating and cooling fermentation (FAC). The results showed that physical, chemical, enzymatic and fermentation modification techniques increased the characteristics of RS and the prebiotic properties of porang flour. The best modification method for porang flour was obtained in the DP treatment with the morphological characteristics of sharp‐surfaced granules, total starch 39.81%, amylose content 3.73%, amylopectin content 36.08%, reducing sugar content 16.31%, power digestibility 43.81%, very rapidly digestible starch (VRDS) 8.59%, rapidly digestible starch (RDS) 11.08%, slowly digestible starch (SDS) 23.60%, RS 56.73%, resistance to gastric acid 98.60%, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) viability 11.87 log cfu/ml, prebiotic effect 3.07, prebiotic index 2.46 and prebiotic activity 1.77.