Characterization of Starch from New Cassava Accessions at Different Maturity

Cassava (Manihot esculanta) is a root crop which serves as an important source of starch on a global scale. The objective of this work was to investigate the characteristics of starch from some new cassava accessions at different maturity. Six new cassava accessions (Abrabopa, Agra, Amansen, Ampong, Bankyehemma and Duadekpakpa) were harvested at four different months (from April – July 2017; i.e., 7-10th month) after planting. The starch was extracted using the conventional method of starch extraction and their yield calculated. The amylose was determined by means of spectrophotometry whereas pasting properties of the starches were analyzed using Rapid Visco Analyzer. Average starch yield ranged from 18-29% with the highest yield recorded in the 10th month for the various varieties studied. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the peak viscosity, final viscosity, peak time and pasting temperature but significant differences were recorded for setback, trough and breakdown of the starch samples. The amylose (14-25%) and amylopectin (76-85%) content of the varieties differed significantly (p < 0.05). The present work shows that maturity affects the starch yield, composition and pasting properties of the new cassava accessions and this should be considered in deciding the time to harvest each accession for specific food and non-food industrial applications.