The levels of different nutraceutical metabolites present in the jicama root were measured when subjecting the plant to induced biotic stress via infestation with Phyllophaga spp. (white grubs). The change in secondary metabolites on the stressed jicama roots (SJ), mostly antioxidants, was followed over 100, 140, and 180 days and compared against the non-infested control jicama (CJ). Our results show that infested (SJ) samples contained higher concentrations of tannins, flavonoids, and total phenols, measured using spectrophotometric methods, peaking at 140 days, and higher overall concentration of saponins. SJ samples showed higher DPPH inhibition, peaking at 100 days. Chlorogenic acid had the highest concentration among the phenolic compounds (7.47 mg g⁻¹), followed by protocatechuic acid, both in SJ, which was possibly related to the lower observed concentrations of caffeic and ferulic acids. As for flavonoids, we observed a high concentration of rutin in CJ and a low concentration of pelargonidin and myricetin in SJ, possibly promoted via the dihydrokaempferol pathway. Taken together, these results show that Phyllophaga spp.-mediated biotic stress affects the concentrations of secondary metabolites in the different maturity stages in jicama, having an effect on its metabolic pathways, which presents an opportunity for the use of material such as agro-industrial waste.

The use of particles obtained from biopolymers is of interest in fields such as bioengineering and nanotechnology, with applications in drug encapsulation, tissue engineering, and edible biofilms. A method used to obtain these particles is electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA), which can generate different structures depending on the process conditions and raw materials used, opening a wide range of research in the biopolymers field, where starch is considered an excellent material to produce edible and biodegradable films. This chapter is a compilation and analysis of the newest studies of this technique, using starch with or without modifications to prepare films or membranes and their potential applications. A systematic literature review, focused on starch, and EHDA was carried out, finding 158 articles that match these criteria. From these results, a search inside them, using the words edible and biodegradable was conducted, showing 93 articles with these key words. The information was analyzed observing the preference to use corn, potato, rice, and cassava starches, obtaining mainly scaffolds and fibers and, in much less proportion, films or capsules. This review shows a window of opportunity for the study of starchy materials by EHDA to produce films, coatings, and capsules at micro or nano levels.

Electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) has significant advantages for microencapsulating compounds in various structures using biopolymers, where more research using pure starch is required. Concerning this, jicama starch and its hydrolysates have not yet been tested, despite their unique characteristics, which come from an alternative low-value-added crop source. Rapid acid hydrolysis of jicama starch with H₂SO₄ resulted in dextrins with a degree of hydrolysis (DE) from 0.4 to 19% within 1–12 h, and syrup solids at 24 h (DE = 42%). This process modifies the water retention capacity of jicama starch, gel viscosity, surface tension, and electrical conductivity. Hydrolyzed starch particles obtained by electrospraying (10 kV, L = 10 cm, Q = 2 mL/h) showed Feret diameters and roundness significantly influenced (p ≤ 0.05) by the degree of hydrolysis rather than the concentration of solids. It was found that hydrolyzed jicama starch with a DE < 6.3% can be used as the sole wall material to form particles by electrospraying, as they facilitate the formation of stable and rounded like-microspheres particles; this was not feasible above this threshold. The results suggest that the jicama starch’s ability to be used as a wall material in the electrospray synthesis of particles or microspheres appears to be determined by the degree of hydrolysis.