Microwave properties of arrowroot and its medical applications

Abstract

Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is an edible starch, commercially available as powder, prepared from the roots of the plant family Marantaceae. Arrowroot is well known for its medicinal effects and use as chief ingredient in infant cookies. Arrowroot in film form is prepared and its microwave absorption characteristics, permittivity, loss factor, conductivity, skin depth, and heating coefficient are analyzed. The results are quite promising and can be concluded that arrowroot in film form is a potential candidate for several applications in medical field, when compared with well studied chitosan film. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.