CHARACTERIZATIONOF STARCHES FROM RED COCOYAM (Colocasia esculenta) and WHITE COCOYAM (Colocasia antiquorum) CORMELS

Starches of red cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) and white cocoyam (Colocasia antiquorium) were isolated and their proximate compositions, physicochemical properties and pasting properties were analysed. Ash, moisture and amylose contents of red cocoyam were found to be higher than that of white cocoyam and their protein contents were significantly similar.  No pronounced difference was observed between the X- ray pattern of red cocoyam  and white cocoyam starch samples, and the samples gave the characteristic B pattern of tuber starches. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that starch granules has shell and ellipsoid shapes with heterogeneous sizes.The range of granules were 20 to 150  in width and 30 to 180  in height. Studies on the functional properties also revealed that both swelling capacity and solubility increased with temperature increase. Key words: Cocoyam starch; amylose; Physicochemical properties