An overview on Parkia biglobosa starch digestibility, health benefits and some applications

African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) tree is an important food tree and source of starch from its seeds. The purpose of this work is to address the African locust bean starch extraction, in vitro digestibility, health benefits and use of its resistant starch-rich powder in application of bread making reported in the available literature. Optimized method of starch extraction from P. biglobosa seed was highlighted. In vitro digestibility of different Parkia starch obtained are of nutritional and health benefit grades. Based on the results in the literature the sensory analysis of the different portion of Parkia resistant starch-rich powder in application of bread making reported to have shown significant acceptability by the consumers in comparison with full wheat bread. This overview on Parkia starch could be a channel for food developers to rethink of using this research results in bringing up a nutritionally health benefits functional food products, especially in developing countries were malnutrition is prevalent.