Yams.

This chapter discusses the extraction of starch from different yam (Dioscorea) species. The physiochemical (biochemical property, amylose and amylopectin content), structural (granular morphology, X-ray diffraction pattern, starch crystallinity, and amylose and amylopectin structure), functional (swelling pattern, solubility, viscosity, rheological properties and retrogradation) and thermal properties of yam starches and their digestibility are described.

Conclusions and future prospects.

This book chapter outlines the future steps in improving the status of the tropical tuber crops: (1) reduce the period of maturity of all the TTCs to 110-150 days, (2) improve the tuber shape and make them more definitive in shape, (3) improve plant architecture to attain a harvest index of 0.70, (4) eliminate antinutritional factors and improve nutritive values, (5) impart resistance to the three major biotic problems afflicting the TTCs: CMD (cassava mosaic disease), taro leaf blight and sweet potato weevil, (6) introduce determinacy in cassava and yams, (7) increase the post-harvest storage life, (8) reduce the loss during post-harvest storage, transportation and processing, (9) use biotechnological means to alter starch characteristics like amylose content, chain length and phosphorus content in starch, (10) it is also suggested that there should be a 'starch bank', which acts as a repository of different starches and provides information on all physicochemical and functional properties for various applications to researchers and industries, and (11) an organization to carry out exclusive research on tuber starches may be established in any of the TTC-growing countries.

Starch modifications.

This chapter outlines the modification of tuber starches, the properties of modified starches, and the possible areas of application. The nature of modifications (physical, chemical, enzymatic, dual/triple modifications, graft polymerization) and their influence on the functional properties and structure of cassava, sweet potato, yam, aroid (Colocasia esculenta, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius and Arracacia xanthorrhiza) and other starches are described.

Sweet potato.

This book chapter outlines the extraction and purification, physiochemical properties (i.e. biochemical characteristics, amylose and amylopectin content), structural properties (i.e. granule morphology, XRD and starch crystallinity, structure of amylose and amylopectin), functional properties (i.e. swelling pattern and solubility, viscosity, rheological property, retrogradation), thermal properties (i.e. DSC), and digestibility of sweet potatoes.

Other starches.

This chapter discusses the extraction, physiochemical (chemical composition, amylose and amylopectin content), structural (granular morphology, X-ray diffraction pattern, starch crystallinity, and amylose and amylopectin structure), functional (swelling pattern, solubility, viscosity, rheological properties and retrogradation) and thermal properties, and digestibility of starches from minor tuber crops (e.g., arrowroot, Curcuma spp., Canna edulis [C. indica], Chinese water chestnut [Eleocharis dulcis], chayote [Sechium edule], Pachyrhizus ahipa, Oxalis tuberosa, Arracacia xanthorrhiza, Lilium spp.).

Aroids.

This book chapter outlines the extraction and purification, physiochemical composition (i.e. biochemical content, amylose and amylopectin content), structural properties (i.e. granular morphology, XRD and starch crystallinity, amylose and amylopectin structure), functional properties (i.e. swelling and solubility, viscosity, rheological properties, retrogradation), thermal properties (i.e. DSC, digestibility) of aroids.

Applications of tuber starches.

This chapter discusses the food and non-food applications of native and modified cassava, sweet potato, aroid, yam and other (arrowroot, Curcuma, Canna edulis [Canna indica], arracacha [Arracacia xanthorrhiza]) starches. Their applications in sago production, pasta/noodles, bread, infant foods, food additives (thickening, pasting or gelling agent), paper and textile industries, bioethanol production, packaging, construction materials, cosmetics and drug formulation are described.

Introduction - tropical tuber crops and their importance.

This chapter focuses on crop production, food supply, origin and distribution, primary product, and starch content of tuber crops including cassava, sweet potatoes, yams and taro, among others.

Cassava.

This book chapter outlines the extraction and purification (i.e. determination of starch in roots, water requirements, industrial-grade tapioca starch manufacture, semi-mechanized tapioca starch manufacture, modern methods of tapioca starch manufacture), physiochemical properties (i.e. biochemical content, amylose and amylopectin content), structural properties (i.e. granular morphology, XRD and starch crystallinity, structure of amylose and amylopectin), functional properties (i.e. swelling pattern and solubility, viscosity, rheological properties, retrogradation, thermal properties, DSC, and digestibility) of cassava.

Characterization and analysis of starches: methodology for starch analysis.

This chapter describes the general method for isolation of starch from tuber crops, the separation of amylose and amylopectin, and the determination of starch content. The methods for the determination of the physical, granular, chemical, structural, rheological and thermal properties of starch, in vitro starch digestibility, and starch derivatives are discussed.