Physicochemical characterization of starch isolated from red Monascus rice

Abstract

Red Monascus rice (Ang-kak) is used as a traditional medicine and a natural colorant for food and beverages. Starch isolated from waste Ang-kak may compete economically with other common starch and give new value to this waste. Isolation by using alkaline method gave a product with a starch content of 81%. Impurities in the product are protein, fiber, ash, and secondary metabolites of the Monascus rice. Several physicochemical properties of the isolated starch were also investigated. It was found that 88.03% of the isolated starch is amylopectin. Thermogravitation study showed that the isolated starch degraded only slightly at temperature below 230 °C and can be considered as a new source of starch for various applications. © 2013 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2013 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.