摘要：Starches are important ingredient in the food industry. Currently, corn, potato and tapioca are the main sources of starch for various industrial applications. However, there is a growing demand for starch by the industry, due to the pressure on the conventional sources of starch for other non-food uses. Underutilised crops such as bitter yam may play a role as alternative source of starch to the commercial sources. Bitter yam belongs to the Dioscorea specie and it is rich in starch, which may be potentially used in food and non-food applications. This paper presents a review of literature on the functionality and potential applications of bitter yam starch. Majority of the studies in the literature focused on pharmaceutical applications. Bitter yam starch has remarkably small sized granules which may be employed as fat replacers for better mouth feel in foods such as mayonnaise and salad creams. Future studies are needed to fully characterize the starch extracted from bitter yam starch using Fourier Infrared Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Rheometer and other high technologies previously used for conventional starch sources. The chain length distribution of the amylopectin components of bitter yam starch should also be investigated. Furthermore, effort should be made to modify the native starches for improved functionality for both food and non-food applications.
