Utilization of high pressure processing (HPP) for the production of starch-based hydrogels for innovative applications

Nowadays, the development of plant-based systems to replace or reduce the utilization of synthetic materials has been receiving significant attention, in view to fulfil consumers demand natural products in all the industrial areas. Hydrogels represent a group of polymeric materials, composed of three-dimensional crosslinked polymeric networks, capable to absorb and retain a significant amount of water. They have been listed as “smart structures” whose tailor-made design confers them different functional attributes allowing their use in biomedical, cosmeceutical, pharmaceutical and food applications. Hydrogels can be produced either from natural or synthetic sources. However, those produced from natural sources have gained a great interest in research for the development of novel biomaterials for which a wide range of applications could be envisaged due to their safety, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. In the last decade, among the natural sources to produce hydrogels, starches have been receiving increasing attention as one of the most promising natural biopolymers. Hydrogels are traditionally produced by chemical or physical methods. However, long processing time, high energy consumption, and safety issues related to the synthesis of these products have been identified as important limitations of these methods. .. [edited by Author]