Abstract

EXTRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF STARCH FROM THE TUBERS OF ANTIGONON LEPTOPUS SPECIES

A. T. Hemke*, N. D. Sangle, K. K. Chandak, A. R. Pounikar and M. J. Umekar

Abstract

Starch is a natural polymer and is a group of polysaccharides composed of glucopyranose units joined together by glycosidic linkages. Starch is an important polysaccharide extensively used in many industries like food, cosmetic, paper, textile, pharmaceutical etc. It is found to be present in appreciable quantity in stem, roots, leaves, seeds, fruits and tubers. Hence this study was conducted to isolate and characterize starch from tuber of Antigonon leptopus species. In this work starch from Antigonon leptopus tubure was extracted and % starch yield was calculated as well as evaluated for its macroscopic characters, Preliminary phytochemical screening of aqueous extract for the presence of carbohydrate, tannins , saponins and flavonoids. The result showed that there was a sufficient amount of starch yield. The compound microscope it showed the presence of round and oval shaped small and large starch particles, single as well as in groups. The diamond and prism shaped calcium oxalate crystals were also seen. Thus starch of tuber Antigonon leptopus species shows good properties and could serve as alternatives for the production of industrial products that may require starch.

Keywords: Starch, Antigonon leptopus tuber, Microscopic characterization, phytochemical screening.