Physicochemical Properties of Jacatupe

(pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban) Starch

Enayde de A. Melo, Pernambuco (Brasil),
Nadia Krieger, Parana (Brasil), and
T h i a Lucia Montenegro Stamford,
Pernambuco (Brasil)

The physicochemical properties of the starch extracted from JacatupC
(Pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban) were studied. The small-sized granules
(approximately <10pm long) present varying geometric forms:
round, cupoliform and convex-biconcave shaped granules predomi-
nate. The amylose content is 23% and crystallinity pattern is type A.
Values for intrinsic viscosity and absolute density are similar to those
for cassava (Manihot utilissima) starch. Extraction and purification
procedures are easy to perform. Root productivity is high (50t/hec-
tare). According to these results, Jacatup6 roots can be considered a
new alternative source for starch production.
Physikalisch-chemische Eigenschaften von Jacatupe (Pachyrhi-
zus emsus L. Urban)-Starke. Die physikalisch-chemischen Eigen-
schaften von Jacatupe (Pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban)-Starke wurden
untersucht. Die kleinen Korner (annahernd <10pm lang) stellen ver-
schiedene geometrische Formen dar: runde, kuppelformige sowie
convex-binconcav gestaltete Korner herrschen vor. Der Amylosege-
halt betragt 23%, und das Kristallinitatsmuster ist vom Typ A. Die
Werte der inneren Viskositat und der absoluten Dichte sind ahnlich
denen der Starke aus Cassava (Manihot utilissima). Extraktion und
Reinigung sind leicht durchzufiuhren. Die Wurzelproduktivitat ist
hoch (SOt/Hektar). Entsprechend dieser Befunde konnen Jacatupe-
Wurzeln als neue alternative Rohstoffquelle fiur die Starkeproduktion
angesehen werden.

1 Introduction
The Jacatupe, a leguminosae plant of the genus Pachyrhizus,
belongs to family Leguminosae and subfamily Papilionoidea. It
is a tropical, herbaceous and branchy shrub. Like potatoes
(Ipomoea batatas), Yams (Dioscorea rotundata) and cassava
pEErNG
GRINDING

(Manihot utilissima), the jacatupe yields a tuberous root which

Residue < FIRST PRESSING > sta .ch
has been used as food since Portuguese colonization in Brazil, suspenf .on
either uncooked (cut into slices and flavoured with salt, pep- > -
d
R E S I D U E HYDRATION
per and lemon juice) or cooked and cured [l].
The plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical regions, in
poor and acid soils to which organic matter is added [2]. It is,
d
HOMOGENIZATION

therefore, a plant easy to cultivate, with a growth cycle of

approximately 6 to 8 months (from sowing to harvest of the tu- Residue <
il
SECOND PRESSING
bers) [3]. Tuber yield has been estimated in 50t/hectare [2].
Adapted to tropical and sub-tropical climates and with starch d
> S I E V I N G OF STARCH SUSPENSION <
as the main component of its roots, the jacatupe can be used
as an alternative source of this polysaccharide. Therefore, the
determination of granular structure and physicochemical
6
SEDIMENTATION

properties of this amylaceous fraction is of considerable

importance before its application different food products.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the physicochemi-
cal properties of the starch extracted from jacatupe (Pachyrhi-
zus erosus L. Urban).
2 Material and Methods
Tuberous roots of jacatup6 were provided by Agronomy De-
partment of Rural Federal University of Pernambuco (Recife,
Northeast, Brazil). They were picked six months after sowing.
Roots were ground in a fruit disintegrator (Bucher Guyer),
pressed, homogenized and sieved. The starch suspension was
submitted to consecutive sedimentation and decantation pro-
cesses. The purified amylaceous fraction was dried in a forced
air-circulation oven (45OC) to a 10% moisture content, stored
in high-density polyethylene bags and kept under refrigera-
tion during the experimental period (Figure 1).
Moisture, protein (conversion factor N x 6,25), lipid, ash,
crude fiber and starch determinations followed the standard
d
DECANTATION
6
DRYING
Figure 1. Flow chart of extraction and purification process ofjacatupe
starch.
A.O.A.C. procedures [4]. The amylose content was assayed
spectrophotometrically from the formation of the iodine-amy-
lose complex, in accordance with the method by Gilbert and
Spraag [5].
Crystallinity was determined by the X-ray diffraction, using a
Rigaku-Denki unit, Fe-Ka irradiation(1 = 1,9373), scanning
speed 4 degrees, 2/min, operational conditions 40kw and
20mA according to Zobel’s method [6]. The absolute density
was measured in a pyknometer, at 3OoC, by means of xylene
displacement, using Schoch and Leach’s procedure [7]. A visco-
simeter (Oswald, no 50, 35OC) was used to determine the in-
trinsic viscosity, according with Leach’s method [8]. Starch sus-

starchlst;irke 46 (1994) Nr. 7, S. 245-247 0 VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH,D-69451 Weinheim, 1994 0038-9056/94/0707-0245$05.00+.25/0 245
pensions, at different concentrations, were dissolved in KOH
(1N). Granular morphology was identified in an optical micro-
scope (Jenamed-Carl) and photomicrographs were achieved
under normal and polarized lights, according MacMaster's me-
Table 2. Jacatupe Starch and Pattern Type A's Interplanar d-Spacing
Values, Determined for X-Rays Diffraction.
Jacatupe Starch I Type A Spectrum Patterna'

thod [9] with magnification of 400X and in a scanning electron d-Spacing (A) Intensity d-Spacing (A) Intensity
microscope (Joel) with magnification of 2,700 x (Frunco's pro- Weak 8,72 Weak
cedure) [lo].
Weak 7,70 Weak

3 Results and Discussion Strong 5,78

-
Strong
Strong 5,17 Strong
After removal of the brownish, thin tegument, the roots show-
~

Strong 4,86 Strong

ed a white, fresh, juicy, sweet and pleasant flavor pulp. The -
hull represented 11,44% of the total root weight. Strong 3,78 Strong
-
Neither sodium bisulphite nor other chemical treatments Weak 3,30 Medium
were used in extraction and purification processes because the
starch was easy to purify by means of exhaustive washings. a) Determined by Zobel [6]; the underlined d-spacing values distin-

Starch yield was 68%. According to Willinger [ll], this amount guished the type A of the others type.
is satisfactory for laboratory trials, but values for extraction
would be higher if procedures were improved. type A. Starches with type A crystallinity patterns are more
The chemical composition of the jacatupk starch is shown in susceptible to enzymic hydrolysis. A biological assay of the
Table 1. Amylose content was 23%; it was higher than the nutritional efficiency of starch showed that digestibility for
mean value found in cassava starch (17%) and than that for type A spectrum starches is 1000/0;values for type B starches
corn (Zea mays) starch (26%). The higher content of amylose are 69 and 90% only. The former are more efficiently used by
in jacatupe starch, when compared to that in cassava starch, the body. This crystallinity pattern is usually found in starches
could lead to higher values of viscosity and retrogradation ten- with an amylose content below 25% and small-sized granules
dency in the paste from jacatupe starch. (2-15pm) [14]. The jacatupe starch (23% amylose and small-
sized granules <10pm) is an exception.
Table 1. Chemical Composition of Jacatupe Starch. The absolute density of the starch was 1.51g/ml. This value
was similar to that of corn and cassava starch: 1.51g/ml and
Parameters (O/O) 1,35g/ml, respectively [15].
Moisture 10,97 The intrinsic viscosity was 2,23ml/g; this value was similar to
Proteins 0,17 that for cassava (2,45ml/g) [16] and higher than that for corn
Lipids 0,33 (1,81ml/g) starches [8].
Ash 0,06 Scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy under
Crude Fiber 0,14 normal light showed varying geometric forms for jacatupe
Starch 87,73 starch granules; round, cupoliform and convex-biconcave sha-
Othersa) 0,60
ped granules predominate (Figures 3, 4 and 5). Shapes are
*) Estimated by difference

Crystallinity pattern of the starch was type A, in accordance

with the diffractogram presented in Figure 2, supporting Del-
peuch findings [12]. Values for d-spacing type A pattern, descri- I Cupulliorm Convex-biconcave Round I
bed by Zobel[6], are described in Table 2. Values for jacatup6
starch are very similar to those of type A crystallinity pattern. Figure 3. Granular morphology of jacatupe starch. Predominants
Type A spectrum is more commonly found in cereal starches, forms were obtained from photomicrografs under normal and polar-
but some tubers present this type of crystallinity. Takeda et al. ized light, according MucMusters method [9].
[13] in starches from some varieties of sweet potatoes (Zpo-
moea batatas), and Gallant et al. [14], in cassava and yam
starch, demonstrated that X-ray spectrum for these starches is

k 35 30 25 20 Diffroctlon angle

(28) Figure 4. Photomicrograph of the granules from jacatupe starch

Figure 2. X-Ray diffractogram pattern of jacatupe starch; Scannig obtained by scanning electron microscopy (magnification of
speed 4 degrees, 2 8 at min. 2,700~).

246 starchhtarke 46 (1994) Nr. 7, S. 245-247


Figure 5. Photomicrograph ofthe granules from jacatupe starch un-
der normal light (magnification of 400x).
similar to those of cassava starch [17]. The granule is, on the
average, 8,5gm long. The hilum is central, but it is not seen in
all granules. The concentric halo is absent. Optical microscopy
under polarized light showed the presence of the maltese
cross in the center of the granules (Figure 6).
Figure 6 . Photomicrograph of the granules from jactupe starch under
polarized light (magnification of 400 x).
4 Conclusion
The high productivity of jacatupe roots (50 todhectare) and
the physicochemical properties of its starch obtained by
means of non-sophisticated extraction and purification proce-
dures make, jacatupe a potential new source for starch produc-
tion.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq)
and FundaqBo de Amparo a CiEncia e a Tecnologia de Pernambuco
(FACEPE) for financial support.
starchlstirke 46 (1994) Nr. 1, S. 245-247
Bibliography
[l] Cascudo, L. C. H.: Historia da AlimentaqBo no Brasil. Ed. Itatiaia,
Belo Horizonte 1983.
[2] Sales, A. M.: Jacatupe (Pachyrhizus tuberous) Uma fonte poten-
cia1 de proteina oleo e amido. Bol. Ital, 22 (1985), 331-340.
[3] Noda, H.: The effects of staking and influorescence pruning on
the root production of yam beam (Pachyrhizus erosus). Tropical
Grain Legume Bulletin 27 (1983), 35-37.
[4] Association of Oficial Agricultural Chemists: Methods of Anal-
ysis. 150 ed., Washington 1990.
[5] Gilbert, G. A., and S. P. Spragg: Iodometric Determination of
Amylose, in: Methods in Carbohydrate Chemistry V. 4 Eds. R. L.
Whistler. Academic Press, New York 1964, pp. 168-169.
[6] Zobel, H. T : X-Ray Analysis of Starch Granules, in: Methods in
Carbohydrate Chemistry V. 4 Eds. R. L. Whistler. Academic
Press, New York 1964, pp. 109-113.
[7] Schoch, R-J., and H. K Leach: Determination of Absolute Den-
sity, in: Methods in Carbohydrate Chemistry V. 4 Ed. R. L.Whist-
ler. Academic Press, New York, pp. 101-103.
[8] Leach, H. K: Determination of Intrinsic Viscosity of Starch. Ce-
real Chem. 40 (1963), 593-600.
[9] MacMasters, M . M.: Microscopic Techniques for Determing
Starch Granules Properties. In: Methods in Carbohydrate Chem-
istry V. 4 Eds. R. L. Whistler. Academic Press, New York 1964, pp.
233-240.
[lo] Franco, C. M. L.: MS Thesis, Estadual University of Campinas
1986.
[ l l ] De Willigen, A. H. A.: Potato Starch, in: Methods in Carbohy-
drate Chemistry V. 4 Eds. R. L. Whistler. Academic Press, New
York 1964, pp. 9-13.
[12] Delpeuch, R J., C. Favier, and R . Charbonnidre: Caracteristiques
des Amidons de Plantes Alimentaires Tropicales. Ann. Technol.
Agric. 27 (1987), 809-826.
[13] Takeda, K, N . Tokunaga, C. Takeda, and S. Hizuri: Physicochemi-
cal Properties of Sweet Potato Starch/Starke 38 (1986), 345-350.
[14] Gallant, D., J. H. Bewa, Q. H . Buy, B. Bouchet, 0. Szylit, and L.
Sealy: On Ultrastructural and Nutritional Aspect of some Tropi-
cal Tuber Starch. StarchIStarke 34 (1982), 255, 262.
[15] Giacometto, A. P. G., Wosiacki, and M.P. Cereda: A Farinha de
Cara-de-Rama (Dioscorea bulbifera L.) I1 -Propriedades dos grl-
nulos de amido. Arq. Biol. Tecnol. 30 (1987).
[16] Ciacco, C. R , and B. L. Djlppolonia: Characterization of Starch
from Various Tubers and Their Use in Bread-baking. Cereal
Chem. 54 (1987) 1095-1107. 3
[17] Rosenthal, F: R. T : Amido de Mandioca, I.: Characteristicas dos
grLnulos de 11 variedades procedentes do Estado de Minas Ge-
rais. An. da Acad. Brasileira de CiEncias 44 (1972), 55-60.
Addresses of authors: Enayde de A . Milo, MSc., D.C.D. Rural Fed-
eral University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n
(52171-030) Dois IrmBos, Pernambuco, Brasil.
Nadia Krieger, M.Sc., Chemistry Department, Federal University of
Parani, Curitiba, Parana, Brasil.
This Lucia Montenegro Stamford, M.Sc., Laboratory of Food Science,
Nutrition Department, Health Science Center, Federal University of
Pernambuco, Rua Prof. Nelson Chaves, s/n 50670-901, Cidade
Universitiria, Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil.
(Received: November 13, 1993).
247