Lotus seed starch: A novel functional ingredient with promising properties and applications in food - A review

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera G.) seeds are rich in nutrients and mainly used for food and medicinal applications. The seeds are an important food item in many countries and are generally considered a low glycemic index food. Starch is a major component of lotus seeds and may amount to over 50% of the dry weight. The quality of lotus seed products is mainly determined their starch properties, such as gelatinization and retrogradation. This review comprehensively summarizes recent developments in isolation, modifications, and applications of lotus seed starch (LS). This survey highlights different properties of native and modified LS in comparison with other starches. Native LS has been found with high amylose content (20–35%), high peak gelatinization temperatures (>70 °C), and pasting temperatures (>75 °C). The high amylose content has contributed to lower swelling power and fast retrogradation of LS. The modification of LS has been done using different methods, including thermal, microwave, high pressure, chemical, and enzymatic processing for functionality improvement. Native and modified LS have promising potential to be a valuable functional ingredient in different food and other applications. Finally, an outlook on the future possibilities for utilization of LS is provided.