Comparative Study of the Starch Digestibility of Araucaria angustifolia and Araucaria araucana Seed Flour

PAULA A. CONFORTI, CECILIA E. LUPANO

STARCH/STARKE

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH

Lugar: Weinheim; Año: 2008 vol. 60 p. 192 - 198

0038-9056

Araucaria angustifolia and Araucaria araucana are South American conifers; the first one grows in the South and South East of Brazil and North East of Argentina, and the second one grows in the mountain region of the South of Argentina and Chile. Their seeds have been consumed by the natives for a long time until today. The characteristics, proximate composition and in vitro starch digestibility were studied in both seeds. The shape of the seeds of A. angustifolia and A. araucana is similar, but A. araucana seeds are thinner and lighter, and its external coat is softer and lighter than that of A. angustifolia. The main component of the seed is the starch, being the starch content higher in A. angustifolia. The disruption and colapse of the starch granules after boiling the seeds was much more evident in A. angustifolia, which can explain the higher digestibility of A. angustifolia starch.