Potato starch modified with a plant extract and its digestion in lab tests
What it found
Adding an extract from the tropical tea plant Rhinacanthus nasutus slowed down the digestion of potato starch in lab tests.
It also changed the texture and thickness of the starch.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Physical changes to starch
The extract made the potato starch less able to dissolve and swell. Lab tests showed the starch became harder, thicker and its crystal structure changed clearly.
Slower starch digestion
With 8 g kg-1 of the extract added, fast-digesting starch dropped to 16.53% in lab tests. Slow-digesting starch rose to 34.76%.
How enzymes are blocked
Computer models showed the extract could bind to digestive enzymes through hydrogen bonds and other links. This binding likely slows down how fast the starch breaks down.
Cell tests on extract
Tests on IEC-6 cells confirmed the extract was not harmful to those cells.
What the authors conclude
- They found that the plant extract changed the physical traits of potato starch by making it harder, thicker and less soluble.
- They say these changes improved the eating qualities of the starch and significantly slowed its breakdown in lab tests.
- The authors suggest the plant and its extract could be potential new food additives.
How it was done
The tropical tea plant Rhinacanthus nasutus is used for blood sugar control, and slow digestion of potato starch helps keep glucose levels steady. Scientists did not yet know how this plant extract changes the physical traits or digestion of potato starch.
Researchers mixed potato starch with an extract from Rhinacanthus nasutus at 8 g kg-1. They tested the mixture in lab tubes and in IEC-6 cells to see how it changed physically and how fast it broke down.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are lab and cell tests, so they cannot show what happens when people eat this modified starch.
- Computer models only predict how the extract might interact with human digestive enzymes.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China; Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Bureau; National Key Research and Development Program of China (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Tianjin University, China; Tianjin Agricultural University, China; Tianjin University of Science & Technology, China
The paper
- Title
- Characterization on the physicochemical and digestion properties of potato starch modified by the extract from Rhinacanthus nasutus (L.) KURZ
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Liu J, Li S, Lu J, et al (2025). Characterization on the physicochemical and digestion properties of potato starch modified by the extract from Rhinacanthus nasutus (L.) KURZ. Journal of the science of food and agriculture. doi:10.1002/jsfa.14407PubMed 40503586DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error