Starches were isolated in 36, 37 and 28% yields, from chick pea, cow pea and horse gram, respectively. Study of their properties revealed mixed granule population; single stage swelling with high solubility in water for cow pea and horse gram starches in comparison to chick pea starch; slightly higher solubility in DMSO for chick pea starch followed by cow pea and horse gram starches; a relatively high viscosity in alkaline solution of cow pea starch; and Brabender amylograms indicating a low slurry viscosity and low set back in the case of chick pea starch compared to the other two starches which exhibited considerable peak viscosity as well as retrogradation. All the starches contained amylose in the range of 32 – 34%. X‐ray powder patterns showed chick pea and horse gram starches to be of B‐type, whereas cow pea starch was of A‐type.

Starch has been isolated from the millet varagu in 63% yield. Study of the physical properties revealed: moderate swelling and low solubility power in water; extensive solubility in dimethyl sulfoxide, probably indicative of easy solvent penetration due to labile and heterogeneous bonding forces within the granule. Brabender amylogram indicated little retrogradation on cooling, owing to strong bonding between the linear and branched molecules of starch. The amylose content of the starch was 24% as determined by paper chromatographic fractionation and “Blue value” method.

The study deals with comparison of the susceptibility to fungal glucoamylase and salivary α‐amylase of starch granules from navane, panivaragu, black pepper and black gram. The crude glucoamylase was purified by fractionation and column chromatography to give two pure fractions of which one was used. The rate of amylolysis was followed by estimating the amount of glucose and maltose released. The type and extent of damage of the starch granules were observed by scanning electron microscopy which revealed characteristic degradation patterns in navane and panivaragu, whereas black gram granules were resistant to the attack. Very small‐sized black pepper starch granules did not exhibit any obvious signs of amylolytic attack.

MysoreAmylolytic susceptibility of a native varagu starch granule was followed chemically and microscopically. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that attack by salivary a-amylase resulted in a gradual erosion of the surface followed by granule penetration at certain locations. Attack by glucoamylase, on the other hand, was more uniform, and resulted in pitting and depressions all over the surface. Raster-Elektronenmikroskopie von enzymabgebautenVaragustarkekornern. Die amylolytische Angreifbarkeit von nativen Varagustarkekornern wurde chemisch und mikroskopisch verfolgt. Durch Raster-Elektronenmikroskopie wurde gezeigt, daB der Angriff von Speichel-cc-Amylase eine graduelle Erosion der Oberflache, gefolgt von Durchdringung des Korns an bestimmten Stellen, hervorrief. Der Angriff durch Glucoamylase andererseits war eher gleichmlRig und fiihrte zu Vertiefungen und Aushohlungen auf der gesamten Oberflache.

Extraction with 70% ethanol of chick pea, cow pea and horse gram yielded 7.1, 8.1 and 3.6%, respectively of free sugars, all showing the presence of galactose, glucose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose and verbascose in varying proportions. Starch was isolated in 28 – 37% yields; whereas the unavailable carbohydrates were found to be 17.6, 14.5 and 24.2% respectively. All the fractions contained uronic acid, pentoses and hexoses in different proportions. No ethanol‐soluble sugar or starch was detectable in the husk. The husk was rich in cellulose which still contained small amounts of pentose constituents, indicating probably its incomplete extraction or a strong macromolecular association.