Chemical composition of taro mucilage from different extraction techniques found in literature
Luan Alberto Andrade, Ana Caroline da Silva, Joelma Pereira
Abstract
• The chemical composition of taro mucilage may vary according to the extraction method. • Cold-extracted mucilage has greater purity and emulsifying activity. • Taro mucilage is formed by carbohydrates, proteins and minerals. • AGP complex may be responsible for the emulsifying activity of the mucilage. • Taro mucilage can be used in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Taro mucilage has promising functions as a natural additive in the food industry, acting mainly as a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier. However, these properties can be altered by the extraction technique, which consequently can change its chemical composition. The objective of this review article is to evaluate different forms of extraction of taro mucilage present in the literature and their relationship with its chemical composition. The extraction of taro mucilage can be done in a simple way, such as grinding the rhizome and filtering, or using more sophisticated techniques, using cold temperature and chemical reagents and enzymes to eliminate impurities. In summary, the extraction technique strongly interferes with the chemical composition of the mucilage, in which cold extraction (4 °C) and the use of ethanol to precipitate the hydrocolloid is the simplest way, resulting in a pure mucilage, with high emulsifying action.