Physicochemical differences between malanga (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers are associated with differential effects on the gut microbiome

Abstract

Malanga (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) is used as a medicinal food for infant development and gastritis. We compared the physicochemical properties and gut microbial effects of malanga versus potato (Solanum tuberosum) using nutritional analysis, rheometry, in vitro TNO Intestinal Model, and C57Bl/6J mouse models. Malanga was characterized by higher starch (70.7% v. 66.3%), lower amylose:amylopectin (0.33 v. 0.59), higher free sugar (5.44% v. 3.23%), lower viscosity (271.0 v. 863.0 mPa.s), and higher bioaccessible and bioavailable sugar (0.89 v. 0.11 g bioaccessible sucrose per 20 g load in vitro; blood glucose levels of 129.1 v. 95.2 and 133.8 v. 104.3 mg/dL after 20 and 60 min in vivo). Gut microbiota of mice fed a high fat diet containing 20% malanga for 14 d exhibited significantly higher α diversity than those fed 20% potato, indicating that minor physicochemical differences between similar tuber crops are associated with significantly different effects on the gut microbiome.

Calcium oxalate content from two Amazonian amilaceous roots and the functional properties of their isolated starches

“…However, due to oxalates content in all parts of X. sagittifolium, which reflects in acridity taste and irritative reactions, their fresh consumption is limited (Boakye et al, 2018;Sefa-Dedeh & Agyir-Sackey, 2004). Their tubers are consumed as a boiled vegetable, as a flour, and as starch (Graf et al, 2018). Starches from X. sagittifolium presented a Lego-like shape with diameters ranging from 8 to 35 μm, an A-type diffraction pattern and a crystallinity of 45% (Graf et al, 2018;Zhu, 2016).…”

“…Their tubers are consumed as a boiled vegetable, as a flour, and as starch (Graf et al, 2018). Starches from X. sagittifolium presented a Lego-like shape with diameters ranging from 8 to 35 μm, an A-type diffraction pattern and a crystallinity of 45% (Graf et al, 2018;Zhu, 2016).…”

Exploring the functionality of starches from corms and cormels of Xanthosoma sagittifolium

“…Lately, the increasing knowledge about araceas' properties has prompted their worldwide distribution (Hoyos-Leyva et al, 2017). Nutritional benefits related to starch high digestibility are behind that growing trend, making araceas recommended for infants (Owusu-Darko et al, 2014) and elderly foods (Ubalua, 2016), as well as functional foods (Graf et al, 2018). Main component of these crops is starch organised in very small granules (Sit et al, 2015) of irregular shapes (Aboubakar et al, 2008;Agama et al, 2011) although variations within araceas have been described.…”

“…Starch from X. sagittifolium (Xanthosoma spp.) tends to display spherical-polyglonal shapes (Graf et al, 2018), whereas starch from C. esculenta (Colocasia spp.) is irregular and polygonal in shape (Aboubakar et al, 2008).…”

“…In fact, common names for Xanthosoma spp. largely varied in the different countries, including taro in Cameroon, yaut ıa in Dominican Republic, malanga in Cuba or cocoyam in Ghana and other South Africa regions (Hoyos-Leyva et al, 2017;Graf et al, 2018). Henceforth, the name of malanga is going to be used owing to its growing location.…”