Overview of research activities

Research and development is focused on starch – optimization of native starch technology, use of by-products (“waste”) from starch production, chemical reactions based on starch and dextrins, biodegradable plastics based on starch, adhesives based on starch and technical dextrin, digestibility starch in food, pharmaceuticals and feed, resistant starch, enzyme methods related to starch analysis.

Topics we are dealing with

• Computer image analysis, measurement of particle distribution using computer image analysis, observation of shape properties of particles of food materials
• Sieve analysis
• Rheological properties of food (rotary viscometer, Rapid Visco Analyser VA)
• Extrusion of corn grits with the addition of other substances on a single-screw extruder
• Extrusion of native and modified starches
• Possibilities of influencing the content of fast-digestible, slowly digestible and resistant starch in foods and pharmaceutical formulations
• Use of gel permeation chromatography to identify the molar mass of dextrins and the other starch-based products
• Chemical modification of starches
• Development of biodegradable plastics based on starch
• Enzymatic analytical methods for the determination of starch (total starch, its fraction amylose and amylopectin), fast digestible, slow digestible and resistant starch
• Preparation and evaluation of starch nanoparticles

Patents granted

• Biodegradable plastics (UCT Prague, Czech Republic; AMYLON a.s., Czech Republic: Combined adhesive containing polyvinyl alcohol and wheat B-starch. Originators: Šárka E., Cihelková L., Švásta V. Patent realized with financial benefit. Patent specification 307080, PV 2009-579 (22.11.2017)