Saleem Siddiqui

By Saleem Siddiqui, Naseer Ahmed and Neeraj Phogat

Potato is among the widely grown crop of the world. It is likely that a large portion of the crop is consumed fresh but majority of it is processed into various products, starch being the predominant one. Starch can greatly contribute to the textural properties of many foods and is widely used in food industry as raw material. Since raw potatoes are perishable and accessible only for few months of the year, the food and starch industry has to rely on stored potatoes during off-season. The various varieties of the crop available in the region, storage conditions, pre and post-storage treatments given to the tubers, packaging materials used, etc. are influencing the physical, chemical and functional characteristics of starch extracted from it. The extraction technology from tubers is also having a significant effect on the quality of starch. The knowledge of physical, chemical and functional characteristics of potato starch as affected by varieties, storage treatments and conditions of tubers will help in ensuring uniform and desirable quality of starch for food industry and also provide information for breeding programs and developing the proper postharvest management practices of potatoes.

Part of the book: Starch

By Saleem Siddiqui, Naseer Ahmed, Chongtham Allaylay Devi, Puthem Robindro Singh and Bawitlung Lalramhlimi

Root, bulb, or tuber vegetables, which are borne underground, are reported to be dense in essential nutrients and come with several health benefits. Most of these root vegetables are the cultivated ones, but few are still underexploited. The root vegetables are consumed either wholly or partially and raw or after processing. They are high in fiber but low in fat and cholesterol. There are wide varieties of bioactive phytochemicals present in them that may contribute to their medicinal and nutraceutical properties. Although some research work has been conducted to uncover the pharmacological effects of root vegetables, their unlimited potential has yet to be fully exploited. The pharmaceutical industry can develop various health-promoting herbal formulations with medicinal properties. The food industry can employ novel processing technologies to preserve nutrition and prevent degradation of the phytochemicals during processing or for value addition of food products. The information presented in this chapter would be helpful for researchers, nutritional and medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies, and the food industry to design and develop effective medicines, drugs, and value-added food products by exploiting the specific as well as multiple modes of action of the various root vegetables.

Part of the book: Advances in Root Vegetables Research