OBTAINING AND CHARACTERIZING THE STARCH OF THE PSEUDOSTEM

OF THE BANANA PLANT (MUSA PARADISIACA) FOR THE POSSIBLE

EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCTION OF A BIOPOLYMER.

Mariana University, Faculty of Engineering, Process Engineering Program ninth semester.

Bibiana Escobar, José de la Cruz, Rodríguez Juan Sebastián

SUMMARY

The present study is considered, taking into account the problems generated due to the
synthetic polymers discarded to the environment, and the byproducts generated in the
harvest and post-harvest of bananas that are wasted. The extraction of starch was carried
out by wet method and dry method obtaining a yield of 0.85% and 0.6%, respectively and a
humidity. The extraction methodologies were adapted and physical and chemical
parameters of species such as corn, potato, cassava, etc. were taken as reference. It was
concluded that the manufacture of products from plantain pseudostem starch is not feasible
due to the low yields of starch thrown.

Key words: starch, glucose polymer, amylose, amylopectin, pseudostem.

INTRODUCTION
One of the most representative sources of biomass related to agricultural activity in Nariño,
are the byproducts derived from the transformation and production of banana, within which
are the peels of the fruit, the rachis and the pseudostem.
According to some authors, there are studies on the integral use of musaceae shells, but
there is a lack of knowledge that other components could be of significant use, in specific
applications to achieve products with greater added value, this in relation to the yield that
occurs in the extraction of starch (Center for Research and Technology Transfer (CITT),
2015), however, Mazzeo Miguel (2008) conducted studies on obtaining starch from banana
post-harvest residues by means of two methods (wet-dry) concluding that the highest yield
of starch was obtained by the wet method obtaining a yield of 56.72% and by the dry
method a yield of 49.65%, like Lambis Henry (2015) that made extraction of starch from
skin residues of banana, by means of two methods; dry method and wet method, with yield
percentages of 50.6% and 69.9%, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM

Some plants produced by nature, such as potatoes, corn, plantains and cassava, contain
components that can be useful to be implemented in various production processes. One of
these plants is the banana that generates post-harvest residues and especially the
pseudostem starch, considered as waste, which constitutes 79% of the banana plant, and
this is discarded into the environment, generating leachates and composting in tributaries.
Thus, a waste that could be a source of raw material, would be beneficial for the economy
of the industrial sector dedicated to the production of polymers due to the low cost of the
raw material (banana pseudostem) and would contribute to the mitigation of an
environmental problem such as it is the waste of this type of elements to the environment
(Quiñónez, 2015).

OBJECTIVES
General: Evaluate the characterization and obtaining of pseudostem starch from plantain.

Specific:
1. Obtain starch by two methodologies
2. Characterize chemically the starch
3. Elaborate bioplastic

MATERIALS AND METHODS

OBTAINING STARCH
Wet method
The wet method involves: washing with water, disinfection with sodium hypochlorite (1%
v / v) ratio 1: 1 sample / solution (w / v), immersion in antioxidant (ascorbic acid 1%) the
sample / solution ratio was used 1: 2 (w / v) for 30 minutes, grinding to a paste or slurry,
washing and sieving, decanting the washing liquid, removing the supernatant (by
decantation and subsequent vacuum filtering), washing and sieving, drying (40). ° C, 10
hours), and final sieving, adapted methodology (Miranda, H.2015).

Dry method
The method of dry extraction involves: washing with water, disinfection with sodium
hypochlorite (1%) ratio 1: 1 sample / solution (w / v), peeling, immersion in citric acid
(3%) in this stage was used a sample / solution ratio 1: 1.5 (p / v), chopped, dried (40 ° C,
10 hours), ground and sieved. Adapted methodology (Miranda, H.2015).

CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF STARCH

Moisture determination
It was determined by the method of the air stove. AOAC (Official Methods of Analysis).
1990.

Determination of ash
It was determined by the gravimetric method. AOAC (Official Methods of Analysis). 2005
Determination of apparent density
It was determined by technique (Smith, 1967).

Determination of the concentration

It was determined by the methodology to determine the proposed starch concentration
(Ortiz Sánchez, et al., 2015).

Preparation of bioplastic
In a porcelain dish, heating in an oven at 70 ° C, a solution is made: 79% distilled water,
7.9% glycerin and 13.15% acetic acid (3% v / v), constant agitation. With the solution
obtained above, a 26.31% w / v starch solution is made, constant stirring for 4 minutes.
The solution, in a Petri dish, is placed in an oven for 30 minutes at 75 ° C (Pacheco, Flores,
& Rodríguez, 2014).