Physicochemical characterization of three underutilized sources of starch from the Andean region of Bolivia
The physicochemical characteristics of three native starches from the Andean region of Bolivia: achira (Canna edulis), arracacha (Arracacia xanthorrhiza) and jamachipeque (Maranta arundinacea), were studied. The micrographs show that achira starch granules are the largest, with sizes between 25 - 100 μm and regular oval shapes, arracacha and jamachipeque starch granules are smaller in size, 2 - 20 μm and 4 - 15 μm, respectively, and they have irregular polyhedral shapes, the size of amachipeque starch granules is more homogeneous than that of arracacha starch.
Achira starch contains high levels of amylose and phosphorus, 34,82% and 0,0429 g of P/100 g of starch. Arracacha and jamachipeque starches have very similar amylose and phosphorus contents although lower than achira starch, 15,13% and 0,0232 g P/100 g of arracacha starch and 14,03% and 0,0205 g P/100 g of jamachipeque starch. The moisture content of native starches is between 11,15 – 14,49% and the ash content between 0,19 and 0,45%.The X-ray diffractograms show that achira and arracacha starches have a crystalline structure of Type-B and jamachipeque starch a crystalline structure of Type-A.
The process of gelatinization of the starches starts at low temperatures, with a pasting temperature for arracacha starch of 50,8 ° C, achira of 61,2 ° C and jamachipeque of 65,7 ° C, and maximum viscosities of 1113,0 mPa.s, 1930,0 mPa.s and 341,8 mPa.s, respectively. Achira starch shows a higher degree of retrogradation and jamachipeque starch greater stability. However, the flow and viscosity curves of jamachipeque starch solutions show a Newtonian behavior with low viscosities, unlike achira starch solutions that show a Pseudoplastic behavior at high concentrations.
Published in Research & Development, No 9, 2009, pp. 81-94
Responsible:
Carla Quiroga, PhD.
E-mail: ccquiroga@upb.edu
Researchers:
Carla Quiroga, PhD.
E-mail: ccquiroga@upb.edu
