Abstract
Starch samples were prepared from the seeds (cereals) of the three kinds of Gramineae plants growing wild in Japan: Chikara-shiba, Pennisetum alopecuroides Spreng., Enokoro-gusa, Setaria viridis Beauv.; and Ta-inu-bie, Echinochloa crus-galli Beauv. var. oryzicola Ohwi, in the yields of 16, 15 and 20% of the seeds, respectively.
These starches were examined on granular size and shape, contents of phosphorus and protein, X-ray diffraction pattern, iodine coloration, swelling power, solubility, amylogram, digestibility of raw starches by glucoamylase, and other properties.
Granular size of these three starches was comparatively small and the properties of them, including granular shape, almost resembled to those of corn starch. Each of starches showed the following characteristic properties: Chikara-shiba starch had a higher swelling power than sweet potato starch used as a control, and both starches of Enokoro-gusa and Ta-inu-bie showed high values in phosphorus content, 0.127 and 0.114%, respectively.