Avocado is a very popular fruit around the world. The plants from avocado (Persea americana, Miller) are native from Central/North America (Mexico) from where it spread to various regions. Their ripe fruits are consumed on a large scale in the world and have healthy properties. Some studies have shown that a diet enriched with avocado fruit lowers total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins levels without changing high-density lipoprotein levels [1-5]. The seeds from avocado constitute a high percent in this fruits (13-25%) depending of varieties, which commonly are discarded as industrial waste [6]. These seeds contain an important amount of starch (27-30%), besides lower quantities of pigments and oils. Thus, new studies regarding the physicochemical properties of this biopolymer are required [4,7-9]. …show more content…
Organic acids (latic, acetic, malic, ascorbic and citric acids) can be employed in these modifications, altering the physicochemical properties of the starch, mainly for their application in the food industry, where they are already employed to lower the pH [10]. This would be an alternative process for the substitution of other acids commonly used and associated with greater environmental impact, such as hydrochloric and sulphuric acids, to alter the pasting properties of the starches [11]. Some organic acids can be used to hydrolyze parts of starch prior to thermal modifications, such as heat-moisture treatment, to achieve an improvement in slowly digestible starch and resistant starch [12]. In addition, studies have shown that modification by lactic acid combined with UV irradiation may improve the expansion properties of cassava and corn starches