Cereal Chem 69:96- 100   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Characterization of Pejibaye Starch.

J.-L. Jane, L. Shen, and F. Aguilar. Copyright 1992 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Starches were isolated from dried fruits of pejibaye palm (Bactris gasipaes) grown in the following regions of Costa Rica: Sarapiqui, Limon, Guapiles, Parrita, and Turrialba. Pasting, gelling, and thermal properties of the starches were investigated. Amylose and phosphorus contents, amylose molecular size, and amylopectin branch chain lengths were analyzed. Onset of gelatinization temperatures varied fro 49 to 53 C. Enthalpy changes varied from 2.2 to 2.7 cal/g. Viscosity consistency of the starch pastes (8%, dry-starch basis) at 52 C varied from 520 to 1,000 BU (using a Brabender Viscoamylograph). Amylose contents varied from 8 to 19%, and phosphorus contents ranged from 0.049 to 0.054%. Branch chain lengths of amylopectin determined with the peak fractions had degrees of polymerication of 18 and 30 for short and long branches, respectively. Physical property variations were mainly attributed to differences in amylose contents and amylopectin structures.