Properties of potato starch treated with microwave radiation and enriched with mineral additives.

The paper discusses how microwave radiation and mineral additives affect selected physical and chemical properties of potato starch. Potato starch was irradiated with microwaves of 440 W or 800 W and then enriched with ions of potassium, magnesium, copper, or iron. Atomic absorption spectroscopy showed an effective incorporation of ions, while mineral saturation depended on both the microwave radiation density and the element being introduced. The data obtained prove that the microwave radiation and saturation with minerals affect the rheology and thermal characteristics of the samples under examination. Both the degree and the vector of the transformation depend on the microwave output and the mineral component introduced. Generation of radicals depends on starch degradation at high temperature while microwaves affect the number of the radicals formed. Amounts of the heat-generated radicals depend on the microwave output and the type of metal ions introduced into the starch structure.