The industrial applications of cassava: current status, opportunities and prospects

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a drought-tolerant, staple food crop that is grown in tropical and subtropical areas. As an important raw material, cassava is a valuable food source in developing countries and is also extensively employed for producing starch, bioethanol and other bio-based products (e.g. feed, medicine, cosmetics and biopolymers). These cassava-based industries also generate large quantities of wastes/residues rich in organic matter and suspended solids, providing great potential for conversion into value-added products through biorefinery. However, the community of cassava researchers is relatively small and there is very limited information on cassava. Therefore this review summarizes current knowledge on the system biology, economic value, nutritional quality and industrial applications of cassava and its wastes in an attempt to accelerate understanding of the basic biology of cassava. The review also discusses future perspectives with respect to integrating and utilizing cassava information resources for increasing the economic and environmental sustainability of cassava industries. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Conversion of cassava leaf to bioavailable, high‐protein yeast cell biomass

“…Cassava leaves are high in protein, vitamins and minerals and are consumed as a protein‐rich vegetable . However, cassava leaves also contain anti‐nutrients and toxic compounds including cyanogenic glycosides and oxalate, high levels of non‐essential amino acids, and are low in the sulfur‐containing amino acids cysteine and methionine …”

“…16 Cassava leaves are high in protein, vitamins and minerals and are consumed as a protein-rich vegetable. 17 However, cassava leaves also contain anti-nutrients and toxic compounds including cyanogenic glycosides and oxalate, high levels of non-essential amino acids, 18 and are low in the sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine. 19,20 The goal of the project reported here was to improve the bioavailability and amino acid composition of protein from cassava leaves by identifying high-protein yeasts able to convert processed cassava leaves.…”

From Neglected and Underutilized Crops to Powerful Sources of Vitamin A: Three Case Studies of Mozambican Cultivated Tacca leontopetaloides, Cowpea, and Cassava

“…It is cultivated by poor farmers, many of them women, often in marginal lands. The main product of the cassava plant is its amylaceous roots; however, the leaves are consumed in at least 60% of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, providing an important source of proteins, vitamins, and micronutrients [57]. The nutritional content of cassava can vary depending on the part of the plant that is consumed (leaves or root), variety, age of the plant, place of cultivation, and environmental conditions.…”

Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd.: características gerais, farmacológicas e fitoquímicas

“…7 Manihot esculenta, a mandioca, é rica em amido e possui uma raiz completa em termos nutricionais, sendo utilizada como base da alimentação brasileira e aplicada como suplemento para crianças com desnutrição, e ainda é um subproduto de fácil acesso, baixo custo e tolerante à seca. 8 Além disso, estudos dos componentes da família revelaram a presença de variados compostos químicos biologicamente ativos: flavonoides, saponinas, terpenos, ésteres, alcaloides, glicosídeos cianogênicos, taninos, lecitinas e glicoproteínas. 6,9,10 Essa variedade na composição química permite que a família seja detentora de diversas aplicações; uma das aplicações derivadas desses componentes são os óleos, que têm aplicações nas indústrias de cosméticos, papéis, tecidos, perfumes, tintas, plásticos, sabões ou como lubrificantes de motores de alta rotação e turbinadas de aviões a jato.…”