Introduction
Commercial starches are obtained from grains, such as
corn, wheat, and rice, and from tubers and roots of particularly
potato, sweet potato, and cassava (Whistler & BeMiller,
1997). Starch is the major carbohydrate in roots,
ranging from 73.7% to 84.9% of the root dry weight (Sriburi,
Hill, & Mitchell, 1999). Starch is a very important
raw material used in the food industry because of its properties,
such as a low gelatinization temperature and a low
tendency to retrodrade. Furthermore, it has no residual
proteinaceous material or soil residues. It lacks a cereal flavor;
it has high viscosity and a high water binding capacity.