Physicochemical properties of starch isolated from Antiaris africana seeds in comparison with maize starch

Antiaris africana seeds yielded 29.6% starch which showed appreciable high contents of ash, protein, and fat. The average diameter of A. africana starch granules was 3.98 µm compared to 8.93 µm for maize starch. A. africana starch had a C‐type XRD pattern and crystallinity of 41.5%. A. africana starch had higher AM content (24.1%) than maize starch (20.9%). The gelatinization onset temperature of A. africana starch (66.7°C) was higher than maize starch (63.1°C), but its gelatinization temperature range (8.57°C) and enthalpy (13.97 J/g) were lower than the values for maize starch (14.02°C, 14.65 J/g). The pasting temperature (P_t) and setback (V_s) were lower and breakdown (V_b) higher for A. africana starch (P_t = 82.5°C, V_s = 173.8 RVU, and V_b = 121.42 RVU) than for maize starch (P_t = 84.9°C, V_s = 183.73 RVU, and V_b = 78.58 RVU). The GPC analysis gave M_w of 2.18 × 10⁷ g/mol and radius of gyration of 95.1 nm for Antiaris starch. Antiaris starch paste exhibited poor freeze‐thaw stability but its small granule size indicates potential for application as dusting starch.