Chemical and nutritional study of native starch from selected root crops and its industrial application

Abstract

Starch is a micro-constituent in many foods, and its chemical properties and nutritional interaction play an important role in determining  how it is used. The goal of this study is to look at the chemical and nutritional properties of a variety of native starches derived from  cassava, sweet potato, and cocoyam. The starch was extracted, refined using conventional methods, and sun dried. On the various  samples, chemical (amylose, amylopectin, pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), and reducing sugar) and nutritional tests were performed (fat,  protein, crude protein, ash and moisture). Amylose levels ranged from 15.04 % (Um37) to 18.755 % (pot), while amylopection levels  ranged from 81.24% (Sweet Potato) to 84.9 % (pot) (Um37) Sweet potato had the highest reducing sugar (72.23 mg/100g) and Um 37 had  the lowest (44.41 mg/100g). The starch samples had pH values ranging from 6.25-7.45, indicating that they were low acidity to low  alkaline. TTA levels were highest in the sweet potato sample (pot = 0.11) and lowest in the cocoyam sample Ede (0.06), but all were within  acceptable ranges for starch products. The moisture content of the starches varied according to botanical source, with cassava starch 419  having the highest (13.2 %) and cocoyam sample Nxs003 having the lowest (10.2 % ). Sweet potato had the highest fat content of  starch, pot-x-igbariam (0.22 %), and cassava sample um37 had the lowest (0.12 % ). Protein content was highest in cassava starch sample  30572 (1.225%) and lowest in cassava starch sample um37 (0.169%). The ash content of the starches varied between 0.05 and 0.15 %  (um37) (Nxs003). The ash content of cocoyam Nxs003 and cassava 419 (0.14 %) was comparable. Cassava sample 419 (0.11 %) contained  the least crude fiber of the starches, while cocoyam sample Nxs contained the most (0.15%).