Functional Properties of Dextrin Derived from Octenyl Succinic Anhydride Cassava Starch via Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide Thermal Treatment

This study focused on producing dextrin from octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA)–modified cassava starch through alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment using 30% H2O2 (w/w of starch) at 90 °C for 3 and 6 hours, yielding OSA-DX3h and OSA-DX6h, respectively. This process significantly reduced the molecular size, as indicated by a decrease in the degree of polymerization (DP) from 161.6 (OSA-CS) to 134.7 (OSA-DX3h) and 112.8 (OSA-DX6h). Simultaneously, the dextrose equivalent (DE) increased from 0.6 to 0.7–0.9. Unlike the original OSA-CS, which formed a viscous paste and retrograded after cold storage, the OSA-DX samples absorbed cold water instantly and maintained low viscosity during heating. They also exhibited high solubility at room temperature (~60%), enhanced water absorption (up to 7.5 g/g), and doubled oil absorption capacity (from 2.2 g/g to 4.6 g/g). Notably, both OSA-DX samples demonstrated excellent emulsifying properties, forming stable 50% olive oil emulsions that remained intact for over 30 days. While 5% formulations resulted in thick, non-flowing textures, 3% emulsions were flowable and easily spreadable. OSA-DX3h maintained 100% stability at 3%, while OSA-DX6h showed only a slight decrease to 96% after 30 days. These findings highlight the strong potential of OSA cassava dextrins as multifunctional ingredients for applications in food, cosmetics, and other industrial sectors.