Change in the starch granules of tuber parts of "Kangba" and "Krenglè" (<i>Dioscorea cayenenesis-rotundata complex</i>) during post-harvest storage

Abstract

The aim of the study was to monitor variations of starch granules in two varieties of yam tuber parts during post-harvest storage. The morphological properties of yam part starches isolated from two cultivars ("Kangba" and "Krenglè") belonging to Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata complex species were evaluated. The shapes of starch granules from yam tuber parts of each cultivar were similar and these shapes were the same from one cultivar to another. They appeared polyhedral, ovo-triangular, oval and some oblong. As for the granules' size, it appeared significant (P≤0.05) and ranging from 5.8 µm to 61.8 µm in the proximal tuber parts and 5.4 µm to 53.8 µm in distal tuber parts during the post-harvest storage. The proximal tuber parts had the highest size of granules (Ø = 26.8-36.6 µm). Moreover, the different tuber parts of "Kangba" cultivar presented the highest size of starch granules (Ø = 27.5-36.3 µm).