Physicochemical properties of starches extracted from bambara groundnut landraces.

Abstract

The physicochemical properties of starches extracted from three bambara groundnut landraces, maroon, brown, and cream were studied. The amylose contents (31.5–34.6%) of the bambara starches were significantly different among the landraces. All the bambara starches exhibited an A-type crystalline pattern with an average relative crystallinity of 32%. The peak gelatinization temperature (approx. 73°C) of brown bambara starch was slightly low compared to maroon (approx. 78°C) and cream (approx. 76°C) bambara starch. The bambara starches showed substantially high proportion of resistant starch (71%) and similar predicted glycemic index (40.1) among landraces. Bambara starch can potentially be used as a thickening agent in food products and ingredient development.