Resistant starch prepared from high-amylose maize starch with citric acid hydrolysis and its simulated fermentation in vitro

Resistant starch (RS) was prepared from high-amylose maize starch through two autoclaving–cooling cycles and then acid hydrolysis of retrograded starch. Experimental results showed that hydrolysis of retrograded high-amylose maize starch with 0.1 mol L⁻¹ citric acid at room temperature for 12 h would increase RS yield to 39%. At simulated conditions of large intestine (anaerobic and 37 °C), the prepared RS product was fermented in culture by fresh feces extract from healthy adult or healthy infant to produce short chain fatty acids. Formic, acetic, propionic and butyric acid produced in culture were analyzed by GC with capillary column. The GC analysis results showed that as the increase of fermentation time and the addition level of RS in culture, the production of short chain fatty acids was increased. However, the production of short chain fatty acids (especially butyric acid) in culture fermented by healthy infant feces extract was much higher than that fermented by healthy adult feces extract. It suggested that the production of short chain fatty acids from RS in simulated intestinal conditions might be affected by the intestinal microflora.