This study was performed to analyze the effects of ultra fine pulverization (UFP) on the physicochemical properties of sweet potato starch (SPS). The average diameter and specific surface area of the SPS was decreased from 22.94 to 10.25 μm and from 0.879 to 1.909 m2/g throughout UFP, respectively, and the damaged starch content was increased from 13.7 to 99.2%. The pulverized sweet potato starch (PSPS) had higher swelling power, solubility, and transmittance values than the SPS. X-ray diffractograms revealed that the SPS had a C-type pattern, which disappeared in PSPS. The rapid visco analysis (RVA) characteristics, peak viscosity, break down, and set back of SPS ceased to exist in PSPS. According to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves, the peak temperature (Tp) and gelatinization enthalpy (ΔE) of SPS were 71.95oC and 10.40 J/g, respectively, while these remained undetected in PSPS. The enzymatic digestibilities of SPS and PSPS were 61.7 and 84.7%, respectively.

본 연구는 초미세분쇄기술을 이용하여 옥수수전분의 입자구조파괴가 이루어졌을 때 분자구조적, 물리적 변화가 어떻게 이루어지는지를 구명하고자 하였다. 초미세 분쇄처리 후 옥수수전분의 평균직경은 약 50% 감소가 이루어졌으며 비표면적은 567% 증가하였다. 초미세분쇄처리 전·후의 옥수수전분에 대한 분자량분포를 GPC로 측정한 결과 분쇄 후 저분자량의 Peak II의 면적이 21.0%에서 86.5%로 상승하였다. 손상전분 함량은 각각 9.63%와 83.57%로 초미세분쇄처리에 의하여 크게 증가하였다. 옥수수전분의 경우는 겔(gel)을 형성하였으나 초미세분쇄처리 후에는 전분의 분쇄과정에서 전분입자파괴와 아울러 옥수수전분의 분자량이 저분자화 되면서 겔 형성능력이 크게 저하되었다.