A Fractional‐Order Kinetics Approach for Modeling Enzymatic Starch Multiscale Digestion

Abstract

The characterization of the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch is a prerequisite for assessing the impact of starchy food in the gastrointestinal tract. The issue is relevant given the necessity of tailoring food products with a prescribed capacity of glucose production. Several empirical functions have been proposed for modeling starch digestograms. The first‐order exponential and the Weibull models are among the most used functions. Although tight numerical fitting of the experimental data may be obtained with such functions, a reliable interpretation of the underlying parameters is commonly a drawback. This work explores the use of fractional‐order kinetics for the modeling of starch digestograms. The aims are to show that: a) the fractional‐order framework offers a framework for capturing multiscale patterns observed, and b) the Weibull's and Peleg's models are particular cases of a more general function expressed as a generalized (Mittag‐Leffler) exponential function. The results showed that the Mittag–Leffler exponential function provided the best‐fitting results. However, the gain relative to Weibull's and fractional Peleg's functions may be small. It is concluded that Weibull's function approximates a more general function (the Mittag‐Leffler function), and as such its parameters find an easier interpretation in terms of the hydrolysis kinetics.