title: Microstructure, thermal properties and crystallinity of amadumbe starch nanocrystals.
abstract: Amadumbe (Colocasia esculenta), commonly known as taro is a tropical tuber that produces starch-rich underground corms. In this study, the physicochemical properties of starch nanocrystals (SNC) prepared by acid hydrolysis of amadumbe starches were investigated. Two varieties of amadumbe corms were used for starch extraction. Amadumbe starches produced substantially high yield (25%) of SNC's. These nanocrystals appeared as aggregated and individual particles and possessed square-like platelet morphology with size: 50-100nm. FTIR revealed high peak intensities corresponding to OH stretch, CH stretch and H2O bending vibrations for SNCs compared to their native starch counterparts. Both the native starch and SNC exhibited the A-type crystalline pattern. However, amadumbe SNCs showed higher degree of crystallinity and slightly reduced melting temperatures than their native starches. Amadumbe SNCs presented similar thermal decomposition property as their native starches. Amadumbe starch nanocrystals may have potential application in biocomposite films due to their square-like platelet morphology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Durban University of Technology, South Africa.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukurumbira
authors.affiliation: Univ Grenoble Alpes, LGP2, F-38000, Grenoble, France; CNRS, LGP2, F-38000, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mariano
authors.affiliation: Univ Grenoble Alpes, LGP2, F-38000, Grenoble, France; CNRS, LGP2, F-38000, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dufresne
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Durban University of Technology, South Africa.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mellem
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Durban University of Technology, South Africa. Electronic address: eamonsou@dut.ac.za.
authors.forename: Eric O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Amonsou
mesh_terms: D000688:Amylose / Q000032:analysis; D031060:Colocasia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D013213:Starch; D000688:Amylose
keywords: Amadumbe; Starch; Starch nanocrystals