Structure, properties, and applications of aroid starch

Mairá-Potato (Casimirella sp.): Botanical, Food, Pharmacological, and Phytochemical Aspects

Millions of people in the world live in food insecurity, so identifying a tuber with characteristics capable of meeting the demand for food and also identifying active compounds that can be used to minimize harm to human health is of great value. The aim was to carry out a review based on systematic review tools and the main objective was to seek information on botanical, food, pharmacological, and phytochemical aspects of Casimirella sp. and propose possible applications. This review showed papers that addressed botanical, food, pharmacological, and phytochemical aspects of the Mairá-potato and presented suggestions for using this tuber allied to the information described in the works found in the Google Academic, Scielo, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. This review synthesized knowledge about the Mairá-potato that can contribute to the direction of further research on the suggested technological applications, both on the use of this tuber as a polymeric material and its use as biomaterial, encapsulation, bioactive use, and 3D printing, because this work collected information about this non-conventional food plant (PANC) that shows great potential for use in various areas of study.

Optimization of starch extraction from Amorphophallus paeoniifolius corms using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) for improving yield with tenable chemical attributes

The development of the extraction process for improving the starch yield from unconventional plants is emerging as a topic of interest. In this respect, the present work aimed to optimize the starch extraction from the corms of elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) with the help of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN). The RSM model performed better than the ANN in predicting the starch yield with higher precision. In this connection, this study for the first time reports the significant improvement of starch yield from A. paeoniifolius (51.76 g/100 g of the corm dry weight). The extracted starch samples based on yield - high (APHS), medium (APMS), and low (APLS) exhibited a variable granule size (7.17-14.14 μm) along with low ash content, moisture content, protein, and free amino acid indicating purity and desirability. The FTIR analysis also confirmed the chemical composition and purity of the starch samples. Moreover, the XRD analysis showed the prevalence of C-type starch (2θ = 14.303°). Based on other physicochemical, biochemical, functional, and pasting properties, the three starch samples showed more or less similar characteristics thereby indicating the sustentation of beneficial attributes of starch molecules irrespective of the variation in extraction parameters.

Isolation, partial characterization and in vitro digestion of starch from Ariopsis peltata and Lagenandra toxicaria tuber

The starch from two aroid tuber viz. Ariopsis peltata and Lagenandra toxicaria were isolated and evaluated for their morphological, physical and chemical properties. The tubers of these plants are used as food and medicine by the indigenous communities. The starch yield from A. peltata tuber was 25 ± 1.7% with an amylose content of 10 ± 0.9%, while the tuber of L. toxicaria contained 28 ± 6.5% starch with 15 ± 0.5% of apparent amylose in it. The starch isolated from both the tubers was highly pure (99%) starch exhibiting an A-type X-ray diffraction pattern. The starch granules of L. toxicaria were of various shapes and exhibited a smooth surface without any cleft or break. While the starch granules of A. peltata were spherical with smooth surface, as well as rough surface. The breaks and clefts were apparent on the rough-surfaced granules. The gelatinization temperature range for A. peltata and L. toxicaria starch is approximately 23 °C and 19 °C respectively. A. peltata starch showed higher thermal stability compared to L. toxicaria starch and either of the starch was rapidly digestible as evident from in vitro digestion study. The physicochemical properties of both the starches render them stable to withstand extreme processing. Besides they also mimic simple sugar in digestibility. So it can be utilized as a substitute for simple sugars in brewing and pharmaceutical industries.

Effects of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Water-Soluble Non-Starch Polysaccharide, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Their Synbiotic Mixtures on Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-8 Production

In the past decades, the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine production, including interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been the goal of many targeted therapeutic interventions for Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a gastrointestinal disease commonly associated with a very low birth weight in preterm infants. In this study, the ability to regulate the production of IL-8 of the water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide (WS-NSP) from taro corm (Tc-WS-NSP) extracted using a conventional (CE) or improved conventional (ICE) extraction method, of the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium infantis, and their synbiotic mixtures were evaluated. The TNF-α stimulated HT-29 cells were incubated with undigested or digested Tc-WS-NSPs (CE or ICE), probiotics, and their synbiotic mixtures with Klebsiella oxytoca, an NEC-positive-associated pathogen. Overall, the synbiotic mixtures of digested Tc-WS-NSP-ICE and high bacterial concentrations of L. acidophilus (5.57 × 10⁹), B. breve (2.7 × 10⁸ CFU/mL), and B. infantis (1.53 × 10⁸) demonstrated higher (42.0%, 45.0%, 43.1%, respectively) ability to downregulate IL-8 compared to the sole use of Tc-WS-NSPs (24.5%), or the probiotics L. acidophilus (32.3%), B. breve (37.8%), or B. infantis (33.1%). The ability demonstrated by the Tc-WS-NSPs, the probiotics, and their synbiotics mixtures to downregulate IL-8 production in the presence of an NEC-positive-associated pathogen may be useful in the development of novel prophylactic agents against NEC.

New freeze-thaw method for improved extraction of water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide from taro (Colocasia esculenta): Optimization and comprehensive characterization of physico-chemical and structural properties

This study investigated the effects of an improved extraction method that utilized freeze-thaw, termed improved conventional extraction (ICE), on the yield and properties of the water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide of taro (Tc-WS-NSP) and compared this method to the conventional extraction (CE) method. The freeze-thaw condition was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on yield. The use of the ICE method resulted in a 227.8% increase in yield of Tc-WS-NSP compared to the CE method. The Tc-WS-NSP-ICE had higher purity, lighter color, larger particle size, and higherζ-potential than Tc-WS-NSP-CE. Both of the samples contain the sugar arabinose, galactose, glucose, and mannose and exhibited comparative FTIR, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectra. The Tc-WS-NSP-ICE had a semi-crystalline structure resulting in higher thermal stability and had a higher consistency index than Tc-WS-NSP-CE. Overall, the use of the ICE method provided a simple, efficient, and green alternative to CE for the extraction of Tc-WS-NSP.

Aroids as underexplored tubers with potential health benefits

Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott and Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott are the most popular tubers among the Araceas family. Their chemical composition related to their nutritional benefits could make these rhizomes a valid option for the nutritional and technological improvement of food products. This chapter provide a clarification about the correct nomenclature of both tubers giving an insight around the principle components and their health effects. The scientific literature review has primarily highlighted several in vitro and animal studies where the consumption (leaves and whole tuber) of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott and Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott was related with certain antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, hypoglycemic and prebiotic effects. Owing to their functional properties, different component from these rhizomes, specially starch, mucilage and powders are being used by the food industry. Their ability to behave as thickener and gelling agent has allowed their incorporation in baked food, food paste and beverages. This chapter suggests the development of more research around these rhizomes since they could potentially play, with other crops, an important role in the future sustainable strategies to feed the planet.

A sustainable process for adsorptive removal of methylene blue onto a food grade mucilage: kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium evaluation

Adsorption of dyes onto natural materials like polysaccharides is considered a green chemistry approach for remediation of wastewater. In this work, the polysaccharide isolated from the corm of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott or taro tuber (CEM) was utilized for removing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution by batch adsorption method. The CEM adsorbent was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The solution pH and adsorbent dose have been found to have a significant positive correlation with the adsorptive removal efficiency of CEM for MB dye. The removal efficiency of CEM was found to be 72.35% under the optimum conditions; 20 mg/L initial concentration of dye, 120 mg of adsorbent dose, solution pH 8.5, 311.2 K temperature and 80 min contact time. The adsorption of MB onto CEM followed best the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The adsorption was thermodynamically favorable and was endothermic in nature. The desorption/adsorption data justifiably indicated the reuse capability of CEM adsorbent for MB adsorption. Hence, CEM may be regarded as an eco-friendly and cost-effective natural adsorbent for MB dye removal from aqueous solution.

Evaluation of the Starch Quantification Methods of Musa paradisiaca, Manihot esculenta, and Dioscorea trífida Using Factorial Experiments

Background

Starch and its products are used in a variety of ways for both the food and nonfood industries. A factorial experiment is carried out with two factors to explain the behavior of the percentage of starch, where the factors correspond to the extraction method and to the raw material.

Method

Three methods were used in triplicate: the first followed the official technique of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), to perform acid hydrolysis and quantification of starch by Titulation; the second method involved the colorful reaction with iodine using the UV equipment to measure the absorbance and calculate the percentage of starch; as a third method the FTIR was used, through which the concentration of the starch was calculated by the area under the curve obtained from the spectrum.

Results

there is an effect of both the method and the raw material on the percentage of starch, while there was no effect of the interaction; the Tukey test indicates that the highest average percentage of extraction occurs with the extraction method by Titulation and with the starch of Manihot esculenta.

Conclusion

It is used as raw material. The method of quantification of starch by UV-VIS spectroscopy was the best for the study samples because it presented less deviation in relation to the FTIR and Titulation methods.

Konjac glucomannan, a promising polysaccharide of Amorphophallus konjac K. Koch in health care

In recent year, konjac glucomannan (KGM) has attracted more attention due to its non-harmful and non-toxic properties, good biocompatibility, biodegradability and hydrophilic ability. Moreover, KGM and their derivatives have several importances in the multidirectional research areas such as nutritional, biotechnological and fine chemical fields. In the previous article, we have reviewed the nutritional aspects of KGM covering the various aspects of functional foods, food additives and their derivatives. This review aims at highlighting the diverse biomedical research conducted on KGM in the past ten years, covering therapies for anti-obesity, regulation in lipid metabolism, laxative effect, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic to wound dressing applications. Moreover, this review deals with global health aspects of KGM and the disparate health related factors associated with diseases and their control measures.