Studies were undertaken to correlate sago starch browning to the phenolic content and the
conditions of the ecosystem in which the sago palms (Metroxylon sagu Robb) were grown.
Starch extracted from sago palms grown in low pH soils, under high sulphur conditions (peat
swamp), was observed to have significantly higher concentrations of phenolic compounds
(0.115 mg of catechin equiv/g dry weight) when compared to that extracted from palms grown
in neutral clay-loamy soils (0.089 mg of catechin equiv/g dry weight). Starch extracted from
sago palms grown on peat swamp exhibited a rapid rate of browning during the extraction
process yielding a final brown product, suggesting the presence of highly active
polyphenoloxidases in the pith from which the starch was extracted. Starch extrac