Cereal Chem 55:402 - 411.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Baking Studies with Cassava and Yam Flour. I. Biochemical Composition of Cassava and Yam Flour.

C. F. Ciacco and B. L. D'Appolonia. Copyright 1978 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Cassava (Manihot utilissima) and yam (Dioscorea alata) flour were analyzed to determine their biochemical composition. Definite differences were observed between these tuber flours with regard to their basic chemical composition. Yam flour had higher protein, ash, and fat content than did cassava flour, while the latter had higher starch and fiber content. The level of damaged starch in cassava flour was high, which may be an important consideration in the use of cassava flour for baking purposes. Sugar analysis revealed higher total sugar content in yam than in cassava flour. The individual free sugar pattern for these flours, although similar, differed in amounts for each sugar. The water-soluble nonstarchy polysaccharides (WSNP) extracted from the tuber flours differed in amount, protein content, and sugar composition. Diethyl-aminoethyl-cellulose chromatography of the yam WSNP suggested the presence of acidic polysaccharides in the extract. The lipids present in cassava and yam flour were markedly different with respect to their extractability and nature. The majority of the yam-extractable lipid was polar in nature, while the cassava was primarily nonpolar. Chemical score of the essential amino acids present in yam and cassava flour revealed that yam protein was of better quality than was cassava protein. The sulfur- containing amino acids were the first limiting amino acids for both tuber flours.