Chemical and Functional Characterization of Products Obtained from Yam Tubers

Aiming to find alternative uses of yam (Dioscorea alata) in the food industry, three products (flour, starch and mucilage) were obtained form yam tubers and characterized. Flours were obtained from peeled fresh tubers, dried at two different temperatures (30 and 55 °C) and then milled. Starch and mucilage were extracted from mashed yam before drying. Products were characterized by their chemical, structural, morphological, rheological and thermal properties. Flours showed differences in pasting, thermal and water absorption properties as a function of drying temperature. Starch contained 30% amylose. The analysis of monosaccharide composition of starch showed traces of mannose, xylose and rhamnose. The onset gelatinization temperature was 74.4 °C for starch, whereas those for flours varied between 71.5 and 74.4 °C. The relatively high gelatinization temperature and the absence of breakdown in the amylograph test evidenced the stable structure of starch when submitted to heat and shear. The mucilagenous material contained 55.36% protein and 43.05% starch, and also an acidic polysaccharide fraction linked to a neutral fraction. Flow curves of 1% mucilage dispersions showed a pseudoplastic behavior with high pH sensitivity. Results demonstrated that yam products have promising applications in the food industry.