Physicochemical and Structural Characterization of Yam (<sup>Dioscorea rotundata</em>) Mucilage

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to characterize physicochemical and structural mucilage of yam ( Dioscorea rotundata ). The extraction of the mucilage was done by the continuous bubbling method, whose basis is flotation, then proximal composition, physicochemical properties (pH, acidity, dietary fiber, starch content and color) and structural characteristics (differential scanning calorimetry, Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis). The proximal composition shows that the yam mucilage is a product with high protein content (27.18), minerals (18.94%) and low lipid content (1.06%), it shows physicochemical properties such as pH (6.63), acidity (0.52%) and starch content (3.99%) low average values, a high brightness percentage (L* = 82.37), a high dietary fiber content (9.73%), a glass transition of 118.29°C with a multi-stage decomposition that allows its use up to temperatures below 220°C and has as its characteristic trademark a stretching C = O present in the peptide bond R-CO-N corresponding to the amide group, all these results reflect that the yam mucilage can be used in food matrices with potentialities as a functional ingredient.