Fabrication and Characterization of Dodecenyl Succinic Anhydride Modified Kudzu Starch

Abstract The dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DDSA) modified kudzu starch is fabricated and characterized in this study. After modification, granule size of kudzu starch exhibits bigger than that of native kudzu starch. The viscosity of DDSA‐modified kudzu starch is increased in comparison with the native one. However, there is no detectable surface change of kudzu starch granules before and after modification. To elucidate the esterification between starch molecules and DDSA groups or octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) groups, the characteristic peaks of DDSA‐modified or OSA‐modified kudzu starch are determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms reveal that the gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy of modified kudzu starch are lower than that of the native counterpart. Stable O/W emulsions are obtained after storage at room temperature for 30 days, as the concentration of modified kudzu starch is above 2% (w/w) according to the results of oil droplet size and confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis. This study demonstrates that DDSA modification can improve properties of kudzu starch and then potentially broaden its applications.