The amoung of starch in a 1/4kg camote

The amount of starch in a ¼ white camote

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An Investigatory Project presented to the

Faculty of St. Alphonsus Catholic School

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Subject Science III Chemistry

SY 2008-2009

Problem

How many grams of starch are present in a ¼ white camote?

Abstract

Sweet potato or as known as camote is a dicotyledonous plant which belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Amongst the approximately 50 genera and more than 1000 species of this family, only batatas is a crop plant whose large, starchy, sweet tasting tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. The sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato (Solanum tuberosum). It is commonly called a yam in parts of North America, although they are only very distantly related to the other plant widely known as yams) (in the Dioscoreaceae family), which is native to Africa and Asia. The roots are most frequently boiled, fried, or baked. They can also be processed to make starch and a partial flour substitute. Industrial uses include the production of starch and industrial alcohol. Although the leaves and shoots are also edible, the starchy tuberous roots are by far the most important product. In some tropical areas, they are a staple food-crop.

This plant is a herbaceous perennial vine, bearing alternate heart-shaped or palmately lobed leaves and medium-sized sympetalous flowers. The edible tuberous root is long and tapered, with a smooth skin whose color ranges between red, purple, brown and white. Its flesh ranges from white through yellow, orange, and purple.

Introduction

Starch or amylum (chemical formula (C₆H₁₀O₅)) is a polysaccharide carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. Starch is produced by all green plants as an energy store and is a major food source for humans.Pure starch is a white, tasteless and odorless powder that is insoluble in cold water or alcohol. It consists of two types of molecules: the linear and helical amylose and the branched amylopectin. Depending on the plant, starch generally contains 20 to 25 percent amylose and 75 to 80 percent amylopectin.^[1] Glycogen, the glucose store of animals, is a more branched version of amylopectin. The word "starch" is derived from Middle English sterchen, meaning to stiffen, which is appropriate since starch can be used as a thickening or glueing agent when dissolved in water and heated, giving wheatpaste.

Review of Related Literature

Starch is a dietary fiber, essential for health because it reduces overall hunger, by filling you up and inducing a hormonal response to shut off hunger. It helps control blood sugar levels, meaning more sustained energy and long-term heart protection.As a prebiotic, it selectively stimulates the growth and/or activity of healthy bacterias in the colon, and therefore boosts your immune system.Its fermentation in the large intestine produces beneficial fatty acids, including butyrate, which may block the body’s ability to burn carbohydrates and may protect the colon from cancer.

Advantages and disadvantages of camote

Sweet Potato or scientific of is also called a yam in USA but not really the true Yams. There is a confusion of this. Anyway Camote or sweet potato is propagated using the vine or stem as it is like a vines root crop. Camote grows in tropical area like Philippines, China, Africa and USA. It is used as food and vegetables. New leaves or shoot is uses as vegetable as it is green leafy vegetable and good for diet and a source of vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin B6. It is also high in fiver and has iron and calcium to name a few.
The roots are boiled, fried or baked. It is interesting to note that sweet potato is good for diabetic person. It will help maintain the sugar level in your body and will lower insulin resistance.
Other used of Camote is used to substitute as a starch. You can make them into a candy, bake them like a cake, cook the leaves as viand or make a pie out of the root.
You can make a chips also out of the root.

Sweet potato varieties with dark orange flesh have more beta carotene than those with light colored flesh and their increased cultivation is being encouraged in Africa where Vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem. Despite the name "sweet", it may be a beneficial food for diabetics, as preliminary studies on animals have revealed that it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and to lower insulin resistance. Some Americans, including television personality Oprah Winfrey, are advocating increased consumption of sweet potatoes both for their health benefits and because of their importance in traditional Southern cuisine.

There are no disadvantages in camote or sweet potato.

Procedure

The materials needed for this experiment is ¼ white sweet potato, knife, grinding machine, mortar and pestle.

The sweet potato was been peeled and sliced using the knife.

The peeled sweet potatoes were sliced into thin pieces.

Small plywood was used for drying the sliced sweet potatoes.

After drying the sweet potatoes a grinding machine was used in grinding. To soften the ground sweet potato, mortar and pestle was used in pounding.

Upon following the procedures above, starch was extracted from camote/ sweet potatoes. Besides simple starches, sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C, and vitamin B6.

We found out that the starch extracted from sweet potatoes is healthier to use than the starch sold in department stores for it undergo chemical processes.

Result and Discussion

The researchers were able to get the amount of starch present in a ¼ white camote. Flour from sweet potatoes is high in fiber and contains a higher level of carbohydrates and lower level of protein than common wheat flour.

It can be used for baked goods, such as breads, cookies, muffins, pancakes, and doughnuts, and as a thickener for sauces and gravies. Commonly used in gluten free cooking and baking.

Conclusion

The amount of grams of a starch that came from the ¼ sweet potato (camote) is 96.5g.

Recommendation

For the next researchers who would like to do our study we recommend them to repeat the procedure for 2 or more times to have an accurate results.

Do the experiment by group and never depend only on one person to do the experiment. And as possible have some research in the internet or books, and never concentrate to one source only as possible have as many sources you could have to help you in having an accurate result.

Bibliography

http://en.qoach.org/what-are-the-health-benefits-of-resistant-starch/

http://www.healthandwealthtopic.com/2007/07/benefits-of-eating-sweet-potato-or.html

http://web.mac.com/scifione/orig/LABWARE/LAB-GIFS/Mortar-n-Pestle.gif

http://www.mixph.com/2007/12/how-to-make-kamote-flour.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camote

http://ejournal.sinica.edu.tw/bbas/content/1995/4/bot364-03.html

http://www.tonytantillo.com/vegetables/sweetpotatoes.html

http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/flours/sweetpotatoflour.htm

Adviser

Ms. Leah B. Pahugot

Science Teacher