Comparative Studies of the Effect of Acid Hydrolysis on the Physicochemical Properties of Ipomoea batatas and Manihot esculenta Starches
Emmanuel O. Olorunsola and Boma B. Mohammed
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – Nigeria.
Corresponding Author: Emmanuel O. Olorunsola
e-mail: olorunsolaeo@yahoo.com Tel: +2348035067306
ABSTRACT
Background: Starch is one of the most widely used excipients in the manufacture of tablets and scientists have tried to develop starch from various botanical sources. Ipomoea batatas; sweet potato and Manihot esculenta; cassava are two tropicalplants and are good starch sources.
Objectives: The effect of modification by acid hydrolysis on the physicochemical properties of Ipomoea batatas(IB) and Manhot esculentai(ME) starches were studied and compared.
Methods: Starches were extracted from IB and ME; and microcrystalline starches (MCS) were produced by hydrolyzing the native starch (NS) at 54 C using 6 N HCl for 6 h. The pH, total ash value, hydration capacity, swelling capacity, moisture sorption capacity, percentage moisture loss, particle size analysis, angle of repose, flow rate, Carr’s index, Hausner’s ratio and powder porosity of the native and microcrystalline starches were determined.
Results: The physicochemical properties of the microcrystalline starch were significantly different from those of the native starch for both IB and ME. While better yield of MCS was obtained from the IB native starch, the physicochemical properties of the ME starch were better improved.
Conclusion: The study has shown that acid hydrolysis improves the physicochemical properties of starch and that IB native starch and ME native starch can be used to produce high quality microcrystalline starch.
Key words: Acid hydrolysis, Ipomoea batatas, Manihot esculenta, microcrystalline starch, physicochemical properties.