Cell wall compositions of raw and cooked corms of taro (Colocasia esculenta)

The monosaccharide compositions of parenchyma cell walls of raw and cooked corms of taro, Colocasia esculenta cv Tausala Pink, were determined. The cell wall constituents were sequentially extracted using CDTA, Na₂CO₃, 1 M KOH, 4 M KOH and water to leave a final residue (α‐cellulose). The monosaccharide compositions of the cell walls and cell wall fractions from the raw and cooked corms were consistent with the presence in these cell walls of large amounts of cellulose and pectic polysaccharides. The monosaccharide composition of the cell walls of the raw corms resembled the monosaccharide compositions of primary cell walls of other non‐commelinoid monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Cooking of the corms resulted in alteration of the cell walls, with solubilisation of pectic polysaccharides occurring earlier in the sequential fractionation and possibly changes in the extractability of xyloglucans and/or xylans. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry