Enzyme inhibitors in tuber crops and their thermal stability.

Tubers of Cassava (Manihot esculenta), yams (Dioscorea esculenta), aroids (Amorphophallus campanulatus, Colocasia esculenta, Xanthosoma sagittfolium) and Coleus (Solenostemon rotundifolius) were screened for inhibitory activities against amylase, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Coleus tuber possessed the highest anti-amylase activity, whereas Colocasia tuber was the most potent source of anti-tryptic and anti-chymotryptic activity. Xanthosoma tubers exhibited amylase inhibitory activity and Amorphophallus tubers antiprotease activity. Dioscorea esculenta had low levels of amylase and chymotrypsin inhibitors, while Cassava tubers were totally free of inhibitors. When tubers were processed by pressure cooking, there was significant reduction/complete elimination in inhibitory activity. Partial retention of inhibition was observed in the case of amylase inhibitor in Dioscorea, chymotrypsin inhibitor in Colocasia and trypsin inhibitor in Colocasia, Coleus and Amorphophallus. In vitro experiments on heat stability of the different inhibitors revealed almost similar pattern of inactivation.