Structural and functional properties of starches from wild Trapa quadrispinosa, japonica, mammillifera and incisa

• Four wild Trapa quadrispinosa, japonica, mammillifera and incisa were investigated.
• Their fruits and kernels had different morphology, weight and starch content.
• Four starches were oval in shape with central hila, exhibited CA-type crystalline.
• The starches had similar molecular weight distribution, IR ratio and helix content.
• Four starches had slightly different functional properties.

Trapa is one of the most common aquatic genera. In this paper, we investigated the structural and functional properties of starches from four wild Trapa species (Trapa quadrispinosa, japonica, mammillifera and incisa) popularly found in South China. The morphology, weight and starch content of fruit and kernel were significantly different among the four species. Starches from the four Trapa species were all oval in shape with smooth surface and central hila, exhibited CA-type crystallinity, and had similar molecular weight distribution. Trapa japonica starch showed the highest swelling power, amylase hydrolysis and digestion, and the lowest water solubility. T. japonica and mammillifera starches showed similar pasting properties, T. quadrispinosa starch had the lowest peak, breakdown and setback viscosities, and Trapa incisa starch had the highest final and setback viscosities. These results would be very useful for exploring the applications of wild Trapa starches in food and nonfood industries.

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