VARIABILITY IN STARCH EXTRACTED FROM TARO

Starch was extracted from ten cultivars of taro and various physicoche mical properties were determined. The granule size was found to vary c onsiderably among the different accessions, C-9 starch having the larg est average granule size (5.19 mum) while the lowest was recorded for C-46 (2.96 mum). The total amylose content varied between 14 and 19%, C-9 starch having the highest value. Soluble amylose content ranged fr om 4 to 11%. Although there was not much difference between varieties in the 2% viscosity determined using a Redwood viscometer, the Brabend er viscosity patterns showed considerable variation, and C-9 starch ha d the highest peak viscosity, almost twice as much as the others. The swelling volumes ranged from 25.0 to 60.0 ml g-1 with C-266 starch hav ing the highest swelling volume.