Functional properties of starch cultivars of two Andean grains grown in Bolivia: Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) and canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule)

The functional properties of Andean grain starches of two species, amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) and canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule), three cultivars each, were studied. The study focused on chemical composition, pasting properties, thermal properties, water solubility index (WSI), swelling power (SP), and granule morphology. All amaranth starches were waxy starches, with amylose content less than 5 %, which had some differences in chemical composition (p < 0.05). The pasting properties differed between the species, canihua showed more resistance, than amaranth, to heat and shear stress (higher cool paste (CPV) and lower breakdown (BD), ranged between 1250 and 1600 cP and -30 – 10 cP respectively. The amaranth starches presented only similar CPV with 800–1000 cP, while canihua cultivars presented similar PT and BD, and both species presented similar PV, around 1000 cP. Thermal properties (T_o, T_p, T_c, ΔH, and ΔT) differed among cultivars and species. These differences could be related to the homogeneity molecular structure and content of amylose in canihua cultivars and possibly to genotype factor. Polygonal shapes were the predominant shape of starch granules, ranged 1.0–1.4 μm and 0.8–0.9 μm, for amaranth and canihua starches respectively. Amaranth starches swelled quickly to disintegrate partially at the end, contrary to canihua starches. The thermal and pasting properties were correlated between them. SB, CPV, HPV, CS, were correlated to the content of amylose in canihua starches. One amaranth cultivar was significantly different from the others. Thus, according the functional properties differenced both species and some cultivars in each species. Additionally, the amaranth starch has the potential to be used in the food industry where heat and stress are applied such as extrusion, while canihua starches can be used in desserts or in cosmetic uses, based on their functional properties.