The objective is to evaluate the structural and bromatological modifications of hawthorn yam starch modified chemically with 2‐octenyl‐succinic anhydrous (OSA) and enzymatically with amyloglucosidase (AMG). Methodologically, the bromatological composition, amylose, amylopectin and starch contents, degree of crystallinity, particle size distribution and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of native starch, OSA, and AMG from Colombian hawthorn yam were determined. The results indicated higher protein (0.99 ± 0.24%) and fiber (2.00 ± 0.02%) content for the native; higher ash (0.78 ± 0.05%), reducing sugars (66.89 ± 9.10%), sodium (126.31 ± 0.32 mg 100 g−1), iron (1.29 ± 0.01 mg 100 g−1), calcium (72.56 ± 0.35 mg 100 g−1), and copper (3.46 ± 0.02 mg 100 g−1) for OSA. AMG presented the highest manganese content (4.49 ± 0.04 mg 100 g−1). OSA reduced amylose content. AMG presented a larger particle size. In OSA, peaks were identified between 1558 and 1720 cm−1, corresponding to new carbonyl groups (CO) of the octenyl‐succinyl radical. The results indicate that modification with OSA leads to structural alterations that can promote yam starch as an additive to formulate emulsions or colloidal systems during the development of microencapsulated products for the pharmaceutical or food industry.