Enzymatic Susceptibility of a Nonconventional Starch Biopolymer From Brosimum alicastrum : Insights From INFOGEST Digestion and Resistant Starch Assays

ABSTRACT Starch is a structurally complex plant biopolymer with an enzymatic susceptibility regulated by its molecular organization and supramolecular architecture. In this study, the in vitro enzymatic digestibility of starch from Brosimum alicastrum (ramon seed starch, RSS) as a nonconventional starch biopolymer was researched and compared with maize starch (MS) in native and gelatinized states. Two complementary analytical approaches were used: the INFOGEST static gastrointestinal digestion protocol, which allows phase‐resolved evaluation of oral, gastric, and intestinal hydrolysis, and a standardized enzymatic assay to quantify digestible (DS) and resistant starch (RS) fractions. Native ramon seed starch (N‐RSS) had higher enzymatically RS (17.40%) and lower DS (65.55%) content than MS (7.87% and 85.03%, respectively), indicating enhanced resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. Thermal gelatinization increased enzymatic susceptibility, with a pronounced reduction of RS content (1.95% for RSS and 0.87% for MS). The results highlight the distinctive digestion behavior of RSS as a plant‐derived biopolymer, demonstrating the utility of combining INFOGEST digestion with enzymatic assays to probe structure‐function relationships in starch systems. These findings position B. alicastrum starch as a relevant model for studying enzymatic resistance in nonconventional biopolymers and support its potential incorporation into nutritional and functional applications.