Starch-based spherical aggregates: screening of small granule sized starches for entrapment of a model flavouring compound, vanillin

Spherical aggregates ranging in size from 7.5 to 45 μ obtained from four small sized starch granules, isolated in the laboratory from amaranth (Amaranthus paniculatus L.), quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.) and colocasia (Colocasia esculenta L.) in the presence of polysaccharide bonding agents such as gum Arabic, carboxymethyl cellulose and carrageenan at 0.1–1.0% were obtained by spray drying a 20% starch dispersion at 120 °C for entrapment of a model flavouring compound, vanillin at 5 and 10% based on starch (bos). Uniform sized spherical aggregates were observed at 1% concentration of all the bonding agents. Gum Arabic at 1.0% with amaranth starch gave the best entrapment of vanillin followed by carboxymethyl cellulose and carrageenan. The recovery/retentions of vanillin at 5 and 10% bos were found to be similar, though slightly high in the case of the latter. The extent of entrapment of vanillin for various starches decreased in the order of amaranth>colocasia>chenopodium>rice. These trends parallel the amount of amylose in the starches under study, and indicate a negative correlation of amylose on the extent of entrapment of vanillin held within the spherical aggregates.