Physicochemical Properties of Starch from Kaga Lotus Rhizome

Abstract

The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) rhizome is widely cultivated and distributed in Japan. Lotuses cultivated in Japan are classified into at least ten kinds of cultivar based on their morphological characteristics. 1) Chinese lotus is a major product in Japan, with its main production area in Ibaraki Prefecture. According to criteria for vegetable cultivation from the Ibaraki Agriculture Institute 2) , Kanasumi-lines (Nos. 20 and 34) and Kohoku-No-Hikari are the major cultivars derived from the Chinese lotus. The Shina-shirohana cultivar derived from the Chinese lotus is named Kaga lotus and is mainly cultivated in Ishikawa Prefecture. The Kaga lotus is used as an ingredient in traditional local dishes (Kaga dishes). One of the characteristic features of the Kaga lotus rhizome is its high stickiness compared with lotus rhizomes cultivated in other prefectures. Kaga lotus is a very important ingredient of Hasu-mushi (steamed grated lotus ball) in Kaga dishes because of this highly sticky texture. The edible parts of raw lotus rhizome contain 16% carbohydrate, making it the largest component of the rhizome except water. 3) We consider that the starch component of the total carbohydrate is a very important factor governing the high viscosity of Kaga lotus. In this study, we aim to investigate the physicochemical properties of the starch from the Kaga lotus rhizome by comparing it with starch from the Ibaraki lotus rhizome cultivated in Ibaraki Prefecture. Kaga lotus rhizomes cultivated in Ishikawa Prefecture were purchased in May 2011 at a local market (Nonoichi,

Characterization, Functional Properties, and Resistant Starch of Freshwater Macrophytes

“…Lotus seeds, consumed boiled or processed into powder, are also used in the pharmaceutical industry to treat inflammation, arrhythmia, cancer, and skin diseases [ 7 ]. Most of the starch's diverse uses are from cultivated species [ 8 – 11 ], and research on the wild species is still scarce [ 12 ].…”

Physicochemical Properties of Starches from Different Lotus Cultivars in Japan: Shinashirobana cultivar and Kanasumi-line No. 20

“…Previous studies have indicated that starch granules from lotuses had vertically long oval shapes, and hilum was observed at the end of the starch granules. 5) 10) 22) 23) Visualization by polarized light microscopy showed that the starch granules exhibited a Maltese cross at the end of the starch granule ( Fig. 2 at 50 °C).…”

“…Previously, we reported that the shape of the starch derived from the Shinashirobana cultivar was slightly different from those of other lotus cultivars by optical microscopy. 5) Thus, we determined the distribution of the starch granules from the Shinashirobana cultivar and Kanasumi-line No. 20 using a laser diffraction particle analyzer.…”

“…Starches from the lotus rhizomes were purified as described previously. 5) 10) Peeled rhizomes were chopped into small pieces and then homogenized in ice-cold water. The homogenates were squeezed in ice-cold water by using double-layered gauze.…”

“…Our previous report indicated that the viscosity of the starch obtained from the Kaga lotus (Shinashirobana cultivar) was higher than that of the starch from lotuses cultivated in the Ibaraki prefecture. 5) According to previous studies on starches from various botanical sources, geography, climate, and growing environment are related to the physicochemical properties of starches. 6) 7) 8) 9) Therefore, we decided to investigate the differences in starch viscosity between Shinashirobana cultivar and other lotus cultivars cultivated at the same farm to exclude the other factors described above.…”