Properties of new starches from tubers of Arisaema elephas, yunnanense and erubescens

Abstract

Arisaema elephas, yunnanense, and erubescens had 15.37, 61.60, and 52.91% starch content in their dry tubers. However, their starch properties have not been reported. In this study, starches were isolated from fresh tubers and characterized. Three starches all had spherical, irregular and truncated shapes with central hila, but Arisaema elephas starch had more irregular granules with small size, Arisaema yunnanense starch had more truncated granules with medium size, and Arisaema erubescens starch had more spherical granules with large size. The amylose content varied from 29.1 to 32.0% among three starches. A. elephas and yunnanense starches had CA-type crystallinity, and A. erubescens starch showed A-type crystallinity. A. elephas and erubescens starch had the lowest and highest short-range ordered degree, respectively. The swelling power at 95 °C, gelatinization peak temperature, and breakdown viscosity varied from 22.4 to 29.1 g/g, from 69.8 to 73.8 °C, and from 208 to 392 dPa s, respectively, and were the highest in A. erubescens starch and the lowest in elephas starch. The water solubility at 95 °C and setback viscosity varied from 10.2 to 15.0% and from 587 to 755 dPa s, respectively, and were the lowest in A. erubescens starch and the highest in elephas starch. A. elephas and erubescens starch had lower and higher resistance to amylase hydrolysis and in vitro digestion, respectively. The above results would be useful for the applications of starches from A. elephas, yunnanense and erubescens tubers in food and nonfood industries.