Recent Advances in the Application of Starch and Resistant Starch and Slowly Digestible Starch

With the increasingly extensive research on starch, its use in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries has widely increased. This chapter summarizes the applications of starch towards edible films and coatings, the film forming abilities and recent advances in nano-composites were discussed. Starch has been used as functional ingredient in various food formulations for so many years, but currently starch from various sources is being studied and modified to improve its behavioral and functional properties. Besides this starch has also been widely used as encapsulating material for delivery of bioactive agents including probiotics, polyphenols minerals and vitamins. The use of starch for nano delivery of biomolecules and characterization of starch nanoparticles is currently of great interest for researchers.