Properties of Cassava Stem Starch Being a New Starch Resource

This study aims to understand the starch properties of cassava stems, currently a discarded crop residue, which contain up to 40% starch by dry mass. Granule sizes and size distribution of cassava stem starch, and their variations with genotype, growing location, and position along the stem are investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. Amylose contents, crystallinity, and pasting characteristics of stem and root starch are also compared. The mean of granule sizes range from 5.65 to 7.64 mu m, depending on the environment and position along stems, but not on genotype. Stem starch has a similar granule shape, X-ray diffraction pattern, and amylose content (20.8% of starch basis) to root starch, but a significantly smaller granule size with narrower distribution range and higher pasting temperature (72.1 degrees C). Cassava stem has a woody nature; a development of an efficient starch isolation method shall be included in future studies.