Icacina tricantha – A novel viable starch source with possible value addition by modification

Abstract

Starch was extracted from the tubers of Icacina trichantha and chemical modification of the extracted starch was carried out to produce the citrate derivative by reacting with citric acid. The physicochemical properties of both the native unmodified icacina starch and the modified starch (citrate) were thereafter determined and compared. The icacina starch citrate which was prepared by reacting previously extracted native icacina starch with citric acid at elevated temperatures was found to be white, crystalline and a non – hygroscopic powder which gave a percentage yield of 76.8% from the native starch starting material. The starch citrate prepared was found to be insoluble in water and had a swelling capacity of 16.42 at 85 OC in water as against the native starch which had a swelling capacity of 11.05 at 85 OC in water. The starch citrate did not gelatinize when heated at 100 OC in water for 30 min. It has a water absorption capacity of 83.25%, browning temperature of 206.7 – 215.8 OC, charring temperature of 226.1 – 235.5 OC, pH of 4.59, foam and emulsion capacities of 4.0% and 7.8% respectively. Proximate analysis (in %) was found to be: fat – 1.5, ash – 3.0, protein – 0.66, moisture – 10.75, and carbohydrates – 84.09. The photomicrograph shows that the starch citrate granule has an oblong shape, generally small to medium sized (sizes ranging from 10 – 15 µm) with occasional large ones. Comparison of the physicochemical properties of the native icacina starch with the citrate derivative indicates that it will be a better choice as disintegrant than native icacina starch in tablet formulations.