Discovery Promises More Nutritional Cassava

Scientists from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) have developed a new variety of cassava that might be more nutritious and easier to digest than other varieties. Cassava is the staple food for millions of poverty stricken people in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and parts of Asia. Cassava roots, similar to potatoes, are often eaten boiled or deep-fried. It is also used to make flour, tapioca and a wide range of other products. The root is rich in carbohydrates and starch, but low in protein and vitamins. Compared to other starchy crops, cassava contains relatively higher levels of amylose, which render it difficult to digest.  

Hernan Ceballos and his colleagues from CIAT identified a new cassava variety with significantly reduced amylose content. Compared to traditional hard-to-digest cassava varieties with 17 to 25 percent amylose content, the mutant contains an average of only 3.4 percent. The scientists found no reduction in its starch content; therefore it can provide more carbohydrates compared to traditional varieties.

This is the first report of a natural mutation in cassava that resulted to drastic reduction on  amylose content in root starch. Aside from being  more nutritious and easily digestible, the new variety may also be suited for bioethanol production.

Read the complete paper at http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/jafcau/2007/55/i18/pdf/jf070633y.pdf  or contact Herman Ceballos at h.ceballos@cgiar.org.