Laboratory of Starch Technology and Products from Starch

Name of the head of the laboratory: Assoc. Prof. Evžen Šárka

Solution team:

doc. Ing. Evžen Šárka, CSc.Assoc. Prof. Evžen Šárka
VŠCHT Praha
evzen.sarka@vscht.cz
220 443 115
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0295-4997
Ing. Petra Smrčková, PhD.Dr. Petra Smrčková
VŠCHT Praha
petra.smrckova@vscht.cz
220 443 115
Web of Science ResearcherID: AAX-1823-2020

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)

The most important industrial partner

Amylon, a.s. / Havlíčkův Brod

Industrial production includes the production of food and industrial wheat starch, wheat gluten, starch syrup and maltodextrin. An additional group is the production of adhesives, dextrins and modified starches (very strong interest in products abroad e.g. Italy, Spain, the Netherlands).

List of employers and real employment of graduates of the field

AMYLON, a.s., Lyckeby-AMYLEX, a.s., Škrobárny Pelhřimov, a.s., Krnovská škrobárna, spol. s r.o.