Anchote ( Coccinia abyssinica ) starch extraction, characterization and bioethanol generation from its pulp/waste.

A polysaccharide molecule called starch exists in nature and is cheap, renewable, biodegradable, and readily accessible. The main objective of this project is to extract and characterize anchote ( Coccinia abyssinica ) starch, as well as to generate bio-ethanol from its pulp/waste. The anchote sample used in this investigation came from Ethiopia's western Oromia region. Anchote ( Coccinia abyssinica ) starch was extracted, and the pulp from the tuber was peeled and the supernatant isolated for bio-ethanol production. The extracted starch from anchote and bio-ethanol from pulps were characterized by physicochemical, functional properties and FT-IR analysis. The result of physicochemical and functional properties of anchote starch was found to be pH (4.44), WHC (112%), Solubility (5.03%), swelling power (5.781%), Gelatinization temperature (53.33 °C), WAC (2 g/g), bulk density (0.605 g/cm ³ ) and OAC (3 g/g). According to this FTIR research, anchote starch has a chemical structure that is similar to corn, cassava, and potato starch. As the results showing a promising alcoholic content (25% v/v) and the existence of bioethanol being validated by a combustion test, the pulps/wastes recovered from anchote are also good sources of bioethanol. Finally, the FTIR spectroscopic analysis revealed that ethyl alcohol was produced from anchote pulps/waste after acid hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation.
Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
(© 2023 The Authors.)