A comparative study of some properties of cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) and cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta, Linn) starches

Some properties of cassava and cocoyam starches were studied and compared with a view to determining the functional applications in food systems for which they are suitable. The starches were compared in terms of their microscopic, thermal, physicochemical and rheological properties. Microscopy revealed smaller granule sizes of cocoyam starch compared with cassava. The amylose content was higher in cocoyam starch (33.3%) than in cassava starch (29.3%). Gelatinization in cassava starch occurred at a lower temperature range (60.11–72.67 °C) compared with cocoyam (72.96–80.25 °C) with the endothermic gelatinization enthalpy higher in cocoyam. The swelling power and solubility patterns indicated lower relaxation temperature, higher swelling and solubilization rates in cassava starch compared with cocoyam starch. The pasting characteristics of 8% (db, dry basis) starch slurry showed that cassava had higher peak viscosity but lower stability and setback ratios compared with cocoyam. This indicates that cocoyam starch paste is better in withstanding processing conditions and would present a superior thickening characteristic than cassava starch paste. The flow properties of both starch pastes showed non-Newtonian behaviour and could be best described by the Herschel–Bulkley model. The rate index and yield stress of cocoyam starch paste was higher than that of cassava. The storage modulus of cocoyam starch paste was higher than that of cassava indicating that cocoyam starch paste was more rigid than cassava starch paste. Cassava starch paste exhibited higher paste clarity and freeze-thaw stability than cocoyam starch paste. The properties of cassava and cocoyam starches dictate their food applications.