Starch determination in horticultural plant material by an enzymic-colorimetric procedure.
Rasmussen T. S., Henry R. J.
Author Affiliation: Agricultural Chemistry Branch, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Indooroopilly, Queensland 4068, Australia.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 52 : 159-170
Abstract : The starch content of a wide range of plant material (including leaves and woody tissues such as roots, stems, twigs, trunks and bark) was determined by the method described. A heat-stable ?-amylase and amyloglucosidase were used to hydrolyse the starch in the finely-ground plant material to glucose. This glucose was measured using a coupled glucose oxidase/peroxidase reaction. Conditions necessary for maximum glucose recovery were established. Material analysed included macadamia (trunk and bark), mango (stems and roots), litchi (leaves, stems, twigs and roots), pineapple (leaves, stems and roots) and nectarine (twigs, shoots, branches, limbs, roots and trunk). Starch values ranged from 1% to >30%. The method allows the assessment of variations in the starch content of perennial plants and may be used in crop management.