The biochemical changes occurring in dried cassava chips collected fro
m various marketing centres in Kerala (India) due to insect infestatio
n were studied, Araecerus fasciculatus (Degeer) was the most important
pest of plain sun-dried cassava chips and Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and
Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) were the important pests of parboiled chips,
There was substantial reduction in starch and sugar content in fully
infested plain dried chips as compared to the uninfested chips (83.5-7
7.9% for starch and 6.95-1.53% for sugar), Reduction in starch was mor
e pronounced in fully infested parboiled chips (78-57%) while sugar in
creased nearly three fold (6.0-15.7%). Total and soluble amylose conte
nts and reducing values were not significantly affected in plain dried
chips due to infestation, Viscosity underwent only slight reduction i
n plain dried chips while in parboiled chips, the reduction was notice
able even at a partially infested stage, Although there was reduction
in starch content due to insect infestation, starch quality did not ch
ange much in plain dried chips, indicating the possibility of using su
ch infested chips in animal feed formulations and in the manufacture o
f commodity chemicals. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd