Starch, gallic acid, their inclusion complex and their effects in diabetes and other diseases—A review

Starch is the most important energy-providing component of food. It is useful for maintaining the structural and rheological consistency of food, ad thus, in turn, is responsible for maintaining the freshness of food. Polyphenols are present in plant products in huge amounts as secondary metabolites. Gallic acid, one of the potent plant polyphenols, has been reported to have excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, microbicidal, and antidiabetic properties. Till date, very few articles on the starch-polyphenol inclusion complex are present. Quite a few hypotheses have been proposed as to how the formation of an inclusion complex of starch with polyphenol can slower the digestion or the hydrolysis of starch. The efficient qualities of starch-polyphenol systems, such as reduced starch digestion, lower blood glucose and preserving food freshness, have formed a necessity for investigation in this area. The focus of this review centers on the recent research on starch-polyphenol interactions and starch-gallic acid inclusion complexes in native and extruded food systems, as well as how the production of these complexes can aid in the treatment of diseases, particularly diabetes mellitus.