Starch hydrolysis products with physiological activity in humans

Starch has undisputable importance in foods both from the nutritional—mainly energy—related‐and technological viewpoints. Different types of starch derivatives, including a number of hydrolysis products, are frequently used as food ingredients, especially because of the particular physicochemical properties they may confer. In recent years, certain hydrolytic derivatives of starch, such as maltodextrins, cyclodextrins, pyrodextrins, and isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO), have raised considerable interest by virtue of their perceived ability to exert beneficial physiological effects upon ingestion. These effects are largely related to a slow—or even incomplete—digestion in the human small intestine, with potential modulating action on the gut microbiota. This chapter deals with the most relevant characteristics of these starch derivatives and the evidence supporting their physiological effects.