Unlocking the Potential of Plantain StarchExtraction, Properties, and Applications

Plantain ( Musa paradisiaca ) is a diverse and nutritionally dense fruit that belongs to the Musa genus which is closely related to banana. This fruit is an essential part of diets of people in Africa, Latin America, Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, where it is utilized in a variety of culinary traditions. Plantains are high in complex carbohydrates, specifically starch. Recently, plantain starch has gained more interest because it is a great source of resistant starch (RS), especially RS2, which has a wide range of uses in the food industry and offers several health benefits. The use of starch for different purposes is determined by its functional, physicochemical, thermal, and structural characteristics. Starch in its native form lacks the desired characteristics for commercial applications. Starches can be modified by physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods to improve their functionalities. This chapter explores the possibilities of processing and utilization of raw, immature, and culled plantains and their peels for extraction of starch. Moreover, it also discusses the chemical composition, morphological, thermal, rheological, pasting properties, and digestibility of plantain starch along with the various methods of starch modification and potential applications in the food and nonfood industries.