Dietary fiber and resistant starch measurement: a challenge for alumni of experimental food development laboratory course

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate if students of the Experimental Food Development Laboratory course (LabDEA) at the last semester of the Food Chemistry (Q.A.) career were qualified to develop a complex enzymatic-gravimetric analysis, unknown for them, but one that currently is considered very important in research. The proposed analysis were total dietary fiber (FDT) and resistant starch (AR) in some foods like corn, wheat, oat, rice, bean, potatoes and sweet potato, raw and cooked. The highest FDT and AR values were found in legume seeds, both raw and cooked. In tuber and roots, FDT was similar to cereals, but decreased in the cooked samples. In these results, changes occurring in FDT and AR depend on the type and size of starch particles, amylose-amylopectin ratio and the presence of some other polysaccharides. With this study, it was confirmed that students are qualified to develop an unknown and complex analysis and are able to integrate all the acquired knowledge during the nine semesters of the QA career.