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Comparison of starches from five plants of Sect. Stenophora Uline and Sect. Lasiophyton Uline of Dioscorea grown in China.

BACKGROUND
Dioscorea resources with vital medicinal and functional values are abundant in south-west regions of China, especially in Sichuan Province. However, the resource in this region has received less attention compared with that of the north. D. zingiberensis, D. collettii, D. kamoonensis cv. Emei and Jinfo, and D. melanophyma from Sichuan Province and Chongqing City were studied with regard to the most abundant carbohydrate (starch) to search for new medicinal and food resources.


RESULTS
The starches were small round granules or small oval granules and large elongated granules, except D. zingiberensis starch granules, which were disc-like in shape. D. zingiberensis and D. collettii starches showed higher values in total starch content, water-binding capacity and infrared ratio of absorbance bands at 1047/1035 and 1047/1022 cm⁻¹. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis demonstrated a higher gelatinisation temperature required more energy during the gelatinisation process. D. zingiberensis and D. collettii starches showed higher resistant starch content of 724.0 and 693.2 g kg⁻¹, respectively, with lower hydrolysis index and estimation of glycaemic index. All the starches exhibited an A-type pattern except D. melanophyma starch, which showed a C-type pattern evaluated by X-ray diffraction.


CONCLUSION
These results showed that the starches with their low hydrolysis index values possessed potential values as healthy food.