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Development of Gluten-Free Sago Starch Pasta
Tomoko Kondo1) and Kazuko Hirao2)
1)1

Faculty of Home Economics, Kyoritsu Women’s University,
2)2

Aikoku Gakuen Junior College

In recent years, along with the cultivation of sago palm in wetlands, the trend of cultivating sago
palm in peatlands is once again picking up, leading to a great increase in the overall output of thesago palm industry. As a consequence to this increase, development of suitable usages for sago
starch is necessary, with creating ‘added value’, or a ‘Unique Selling Point’ for products containing
sago starch being considered a key element for the future success of this industry. Considering theabove, the global expansion of gluten-free foods came to mind as one possibility for expanding theusage of sago starch. Pasta, a food that is typically prepared using high protein content durum
wheat flour, was determined as the subject of this research, and the development of gluten-freepasta made with sago starch was investigated.
Experiment Materials
Sago starch (T.Akiyama & Co., made in Indonesia) was used as the sample, and durum wheat
flour, potato starch, corn starch and tapioca starch were used as the comparisons. In theexamination of sub-ingredients in pasta preparation the following ingredients were used: Potato,
sweet potato panicum miliaceum flour and millet flour, white sorghum, corn flour, carrot powder
and lotus root powder, non-glutinous rice flour, and glutinous rice flour. In the experiments on
physical property improvement the following ingredients were used: Rice gel, and xanthan gum,locust bean gum, -carrageenan, and guar gum as thickeners.
Preparation of the Sample
For the pasta containing durum wheat flour (the control), 1.5 g of salt was added to 100 g ofdurum wheat flour, then, after the addition of 40 mL of distilled water the mixture was kneaded.
The preparation method for the pastas containing the various types of starches was as follows: 15 gof starch was inserted into aluminum saucepan, then 80 g of distilled water was added and thecontents were heated and stirred for 90 seconds, making a gel with a starch concentration of 18 %.
Then 40 g of the starch gel was added to 55 g of corn flour, and after kneading the mixture by hand,
2 g of olive oil was added and a further kneading by hand was performed.
In the examination of physical property improvement, xanthan gum was found to produce pastawith the highest levels of chewiness, therefore it was selected as the substitute for 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and1.25 g of the corn flour, or 0.5, 0.8, 1 and 1.3 % of the total weight, pasta dough was prepared.
The various dough types were shaped into disk or noodle form and then measurements were
performed on each type.
Measurement Method
1) The thickness and diameter of both the disk form dough, and the disk form pasta heated via

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boiling were measured using a Digital Calipers.
2) The physical properties of both the dough of the noodle type pasta and the pasta itself heatingwere measured by performing a breaking test using a creep meter.
3) Sensory evaluation was conducted on pasta containing each of the various types of starch, and on
sago starch pasta with the addition amount of xanthan gum adjusted.
Examination Results and ObservationsExamination on Preparation Methods
In the production of noodles such as harusame (vermicelli noodles), a part of the starch isgelatinized and used as a carrier. It was decided to use this method in this research. Utilization ofthis method meant that, when sago starch was gelatinized, and kneaded with the different powder
types, a dough with increased adhesiveness and that could be gathered together easily could beobtained.
Examination of Sub-Ingredients
When the sub-ingredient was mixed with sago starch (the main ingredient) and corn flour, an
outcome that was similar in shape and color to pasta could be achieved.
Caracteristics of Pasta Containing the Various Types of Starch1) In the physical property measurements, the results of the rupture stress test showed that strain
rates had the same trends at 25, 50 and 75 %. Namely, corn starch pasta was the hardest, andtapioca starch the softest.
2) Results from the sensory evaluation showed that the color, chewiness, feeling when biting, andoverall evaluation (no sauce) of the sago starch pasta was favored less than the potato starch pasta,
however, with the addition of meat sauce there was no significant difference found in overall
evaluation.
Examination of Physical Property Improvement
1) For sago starch pasta, when xanthan gum was added to the degree of 0.51.3 % of the total
weight, the values obtained at every strain rate showed a tendency to be high. Also, as the amountof added ingredients increased, the values showed a tendency to increase accordingly. For pastawith xanthan gum added to the degrees of 0.5 and 0.8 %, the strain rates at 2575 % were found tobe similar to the control.
2) Results from sensory evaluation on 4 types of sago pasta; without addition of xanthan gum, andwith additions to the rate of 0.8, 1 and 1.3 %, showed that the 0.8 % addition xanthan gum pasta
was preferred in the yellowness, hardness, chewiness, stickiness, and feeling when biting properties,
and was most favored in the overall evaluation. However, when meat sauce was added, 1 %addition xanthan pasta was found to be favored.

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Sago Palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) Pollen Grains from Different Soil Layers
in Leyte, Philippines
Masanori Okazaki1, Mitsuhisa Baba2, Marcelo A. Quevedo3 and Ma. Kristine L. Aban3
1

Japan Soil Research Institute, Inc., 3-26-4, Yatocho, Nishitokyo, Tokyo 188-0001, Japan2

3

Kitasato University, 35-1, Higashinijusanbanncho, Towada, Aomori 034-8628 Japan

Philippine Rootcrops Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops), Visayas State University,
Leyte, Philippines

Historical cultivation of Metroxylon sagu was investigated using its pollen grains varied in soil
layers at Pangasugan, Julita and Dulag, Leyte, where form one of the centers of M. sagu growing
area in Philippines. The pollen grains mounted on a glass slide were identified by a transmitting
light microscope with the magnification of x100 and x400 after the treatment of KOH andacetolysis to remove organic matter in soil sample and cytoplasmic content and showed thefrequency percentages of the disulcate grains of M. sugu; several % in the 0-16.5cm and 35-78.5cm
in Pangasugan, 30% in the 0-16.5cm and 10-30% in the 32-47.5cm to the 78.5-90cm in Julita, and
5-15% in the 0-16.5cm to 47.5-63cm in Dulag. It is concluded that long time cultivation of M. sagu
has been demonstrated by the presence and high frequency percentages of its pollen grains in Julita
and Dulag.
Keywords: acetolysis, disulcate, microscope, pollen
Materials and Methods
1. Soil samples
The sampling sites are located in central lowland area of Leyte, Philippines. Soil samples up to
94 cm in depth were taken from Pangasugan, Julita and Dulag, Leyte.
2. Pollen analysis
Two g of air-dried soil samples was used for fossil pollen analysis. Fifteen mL of 10% KOH
solution was taken into the soil sample in a 30 mL centrifuge tube and heated on the boiling water.
The pollen sample was obtained from the sieving with the 0.045mm and the 0.250 mm sieve forwater washing, centrifuged, and filtrated with No. 5 C filter paper. The sample including pollen waswashing with water and centrifuged several times. Two mL of 10% HCl was put into the pollen
sample to acidify. The pollen suspension solution was heated on the boiling water and centrifuged.
The pollen sample was separated into two; one for the direct observation of non-treatment sample
and another for the observation of acetolysis-treatment sample. The specimen slide was prepared byglycerol gel (Lion Dental Products Co. Ltd.), and directly by MGK-S (polystyrene) solution(Matsunami Glass Industry) after air-drying. The specimen slide for pollen observation using atransmitting light microscope (TLM) (Meiji Techno MT5000) with the magnification x100 andx400 was prepared. The morphological description of pollen samples was carried out according to
the shape, size, aperture number and location, orientation and stratification, and exine
ornamentation.

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Results
1. Microscopic observation of Metroxylon sagu pollen
The pollen grain of M. sagu from Julita soil layers was medium (25-30 μm) in size, elliptic,
reticulate, in apertural view and equatorially disulcate or bisulcate, and exhibited two germination
apertures on the short equatorial axis, which is in accordance with the result of Ehara et al. (2006)
using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
2. Vertical distribution of Metroxylon sagu pollen grains in soil layers
The vertical distribution of M. sagu disulcate pollen grains in Pangasugan exhibited 7 frequency
percentages of phytoliths at the surface (0-16.5cm) layer only and nothing in the subsurface layers.
The monosulcate pollen grains from Arecaceae (Areca, Arenga, Calamus, Caryota and Nypa) weredetected. On the other hand, in both Julita and Dulag, the eastern part of Leyte, large quantities of
M. sagu pollen grains were found from the surface to subsurface layers. High frequency
percentages of M. sagu pollen in Julita were detected in JL1 (0-16.5cm), JL3 (32-47.5cm), JL4(47.5-63cm) and JL5 (63-78.5cm) layer, accounted for 20 and 30 %. In Dulag 15.4 and 28.0
frequency percentage were provided in DL1 (0-16.5cm) and DL3 (32-47.5cm) layer. There were40-60 frequency percentages of monosulcate pollen grains in Julita and Dulag soil layers, andPangasugan likewise.
Long time cultivation of M. sagu has been demonstrated by the presence and high frequency
percentages of pollen grains in Julita and Dulag.
Reference
Ehara, H. M. M. Harley, W. J. Baker, J. Dransfield, H. Naito and C. Mizota 2006 Morphology ofpollen grains obtained from dried specimens of spiny and spineless sago palms grown at
distant sites in Indonesia. Japanese Journal of Tropical Agriculture 50: 121-126

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The Historical Evidence of Sago Palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) Cultivation in
Leyte, Philippines - Phytolith Assemblages in Soil –Mitsuhisa Baba1, Masanori Okazaki2, Keiji Nakaie2, Marcelo A. Quevedo3 and Ma. Kristine L.
Aban3
1
2
3

Kitasato University, 35-1, Higashinijusanbanncho, Towada, Aomori 034-8628, Japan

Japan Soil Research Institute, Inc., 3-26-4, Yatocho, Nishitokyo, Tokyo 188-0001 Japan

Philippine Rootcrops Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops), Visayas State University,
Leyte, Philippines

The origin place of sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) is supposed to be Papua Island and Maluku
Islands from the large variations of local varieties (Ehara, 2015). Philippines is far from the centerof sago growing area. It is interesting when and where Philippine people encountered M. sagu.
Phytolith (plant biogenic silica) is one of the potentially powerful means to sago cultivation
history. We tried to show M. sagu cultivation history in Leyte, Philippines, based on Arecaceae
phytolith assemblages in soil layers at Pangasugan, Julita and Dulag profile.
Keywords: Leyte, Philippines, phytolith, primary minerals, soil profile
Materials and Methods
Soil samples were taken from Pangasugan, Julita, and Dulag, Leyte, Philippines using a screw
auger (0-16.5, 16.5-32, 32-47.5, 47.5-63, 63-78.5 and 78.5-94 cm in depth) in August, 2019. Soilsamples were sieved with a 40 mesh sieve after air-drying. The air-dried and 40 mesh-sieved
samples were divided into four; carbon and nitrogen content, primary mineral composition, andphytoliths. The sample for phytolith assemblage analysis was sieved with the 0.045 and 0.250 mm
sieve. Less than 0.045 mm fraction in diameter were mainly collected for getting a small size ofphytolith and the 0.045-0.250 mm fraction was supplementally used. The presence of around 300
phytoliths was recorded according to the description of International Code for Phytolith
Nomenclature 1.0 (Madella et al., 2005) and 2.0 (Neumann et al., 2019).
Results and Discussion
Arecaceae phytoliths were identified as five groups; spheroid echinate (including M. sagu
phytoliths), globular echinate, hat-shaped to conical, ellipsoid echinate and others. The spheroid
echinate phytoliths to total phytoliths accounted for 6-57% in Pangasugan, 26-58% in Julita and9-76% in Dulag. Spheroid echinate phytoliths in soil obviously showed high content in spheroid
echinate phytolith assemblages at the depth of 0-16.5 cm for Pangasugan, 16.5-32 cm for Julita, and
32-63 cm for Dulag. This indicated the peak period of sago palm cultivation. The dominant size of
spheroid echinate phytoliths was the 5-15 m fraction of phytolith assemblages (47.0%) for
Pangasugan, the 5-10 m (24.7%) and the 10-15m fraction (30.9%) for Julita, and the <5-15m
fraction (25.4-27.0%) for Dulag. Spheroid echinate phytoliths were found in the surface layer in
Pangasugan and throughout the soil layers in Julita and Dulag, reflects the history of sago palm
cultivation in Leyte.

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Acknowledgements.
This study was supported by an Academic Encouragement Research Grant from The Society of
Sago Palm Studies in 2019.
References
Ehara, H. 2015 Geographical origin, dispersal and distribution of the true sago palm, In The sago
Palm, The food and Environmental challenges of the 21st Century, ed. The Society of Sago
Palm Studies. p. 17-22, Kyoto University Press
Madella, M., A. Alexandre and T. Ball 2005 International Code for Phytolith Nomenclature 1.0,
Annals of Botany 96: 253–260.
Neumann, K., C. A. E. Strömberg, T. Ball, R. M. Albert, L. Vrydaghs and L. S. Cummings 2019
International code for phytolith nomenclature (ICPN) 2.0. Annals of Botany 124: 189–199.

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An overview of market opportunities for sago starch commercialization inIndonesia
Marlisa Ayu Trisia1 and Hiroshi Ehara1
1International Center for Research and Education in Agriculture (ICREA), Nagoya University

Introduction

Sago palm was first mentioned in the 13th century by Marco Polo and was describedby Alfred Russel Wallace in the 18th century as one of important food commodities. Recently, sago
has become an important raw material for utilization in various industries. Thus, it is not only seen as
food but also a functional commodity with economic value that contributes to poverty alleviation. In
this overview study, trends in the global sago starch market and market growth opportunities wereexplained to identify the demand market of sago starch in the future.
Material and methods

In the context of this study, a literature review is carried out in order toobserve the trend of sago starch demand and market opportunities. Literature, namely scientificpapers and annual reports were analyzed. In addition, other information such as encyclopedia andnewspaper were reviewed to support the study.
Results and Discussion
1. Global sago starch market

The world production of starch is estimated to be around 85 million tons, which is dominatedby corn, potato, and tapioca starches (International Starch Institute, 2020). Sago is one of the
starches that is obtained from the trunk of Metroxylon sagu Rottb. with annual global production at
approximately 656,000 tons, mainly from Sarawak and Indonesia. Sarawak exports about
41,000-51,000 tons of refined sago annually with Peninsular Malaysia and Japan as their main
export destinations. Meanwhile, the export of sago starch from Indonesia reached its lowest pointof 2,168 tons in 2011 before increasing up to 12,908 tons in 2018. The gradual increase in demand
for sago starch was due to the increasing starch demand from food industries in other countries. The
value of sago starch increased significantly, with the highest value being 4.2 million US$ in 2011.
However, the value of exported sago starch fell to its lowest point at 1 million US$ in 2012. After
that, the value of exported sago starch gradually increased to 3,1 million US$ in 2017.
The sago industry in Sarawak is well established with modernized sago-processing factories
and has become an important source of export revenue. In contrast, the majority of sago starch inIndonesia is produced by smallholders, which are mainly focused on the domestic market. In
Malaysia, sago starch is mainly used for addition (at 20–30%) to rice flour in the production of flat
rice noodles and rice vermicelli. Despite the higher prices, as compared with cassava or corn starch,sago is preferred to create rice noodles and vermicelli less brittle to handle and chewier in texture(Jong, 2018). Meanwhile, in Indonesia, sago starch is used for the production of glass noodles(sohun), meatball, and other local foods.
2.

Growth opportunities for sago starch commercialization in Indonesia
To assess the opportunities that can promote growth toward sago starch commercialization, thefollowing aspects are taken into account: 1: Trend of sago demand in Java island and South
Sulawesi: The trend in the domestic market reveals that the trade in sago starch from Riau toAbstracts of 29th Annual Meeting of Sago Palm Studies

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Cirebon has grown by 15% from 2014 to 2018. Furthermore, the consumption of sago products
may increase in the future due to the popularity of sago food processing (kapurung) and dried sago.
The number of commercial kapurung restaurants has increased with an average growth of 28.7%
during the last 14 years.

Metaragakusuma et al. (2017) also mentioned that there are 26 kapurung

restaurants that need approximately 11.7 tons of wet sago every month. In addition, an interview
with a dried sago producer in Palopo, South Sulawesi, showed an increase of the sales quantity
from 617 kg/month in 2014-2015 to 34 tons in May 2020. 2: Trend on food consumption inIndonesia: Participation in sago consumption by the Indonesian population has increased from
1.61% in 2013 to 2.09% in 2018 (Food Security Agency, 2019). In addition, total 63 various ofsago-based food products are found in 21 of 33 provinces in Indonesia. This will trigger anincreasing demand and increase the opportunities of sago starch commercialization in the future. 3.
Replacement 10% of imported wheat flour to sago starch: The Indonesian government encourages
food industries to substitute 10 % of imported wheat flour with sago starch to support sago-basedindustries under a cooperation agreement to utilize sago starch as a raw material for the foodIndustry. The replacement of imported wheat flour with sago starch is expected to increase sago
starch demand by 1.1 million tons and produce up to Rp 2.4 trillion (US$ 170 million) of benefits
annually. 4: Reducing the food vulnerability in Indonesia as a potential market for sago starch.
Improving the competitiveness of sago products can optimize local food supply and minimize foodinsecurity. 5: Growth opportunities for sago starch in the international market: Apart from domestic
consumption, sago starch is mainly exported to Japan. In Japan, sago starch is used as dusting flour
for noodles, dumpling skins, starch sugar, and dextrin. Recently, it has been promoted as agluten-free, non-allergenic food and for non-food industries where film formation and adhesion
properties are needed. There is also a possibility that demand for sago starch will increase
especially for aging people and where preference for healthy foods are likely to continue. However,
the improvement of sago starch quality and product differentiation should be pursued to meet thequality standards of the purchaser and render it more competitive in Japan’s import market.
References:
International

StarchInstitute.

(2020).

Globalstarch.

Availableat:

http://www.starch.dk/isi/stat/rawmaterial.asp. Last accessed 30.11.2020.
Food Security Agency (2019). Directory of food consumption development 2019. Ministry ofAgriculture, Jakarta.
Jong, F.S. (2018). An Overview of Sago Industry Development, 1980s–2015. In: Ehara H., Toyoda
Y., Johnson D. (eds) Sago Palm. Springer, Singapore.
Metaragakusuma, A. P., Osozawa, K., Hu, B. (2017). The current status of sago production inSouth Sulawesi: Its market and challenge as a new food-industry source. International Journal
Sustainable Future for Human Security, 5:1(2017): 32-46.
(This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 18KT0041)

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Abstracts of 29th Annual Meeting of Sago Palm Studies

Comparison of Nutrient Status between Sago Palms Grown in Peat andMineral Soil in Indonesia
Fitri Audia1, Aidil Azhar1, Muhammad Iqbal Nurulhaq2, Agief Julio Pratama2, Ahmad Junaedi2,
Ibnu Natsir3, Akira Watanabe1, Hitoshi Naito2 and Hiroshi Ehara1
1
Nagoya University, 2IPB University, 3Sampoerna Agro,
4
Kurashiki University of Science and The Arts
Introduction As a starch producing plant that can grow economically in various condition,
sago palm is promoted to be cultivated in peatland. It was reported that nutrient deficiency is
one of the major growth-limiting factors for crop cultivation in most tropical peatland. This
study aims to investigate responses of sago palm to nutrient availability in growth media.
Materials and Methods A field survey was made in December 2019 at two sites inIndonesia: i) Deep peat soil in NSP plantation, Tebing Tinggi and ii) mineral soil in small
farm, Bogor. Soil sample was taken from 25 cm depth by a core sampler and analyzed at theIndonesian Soil Institute. Morphologycal characteristics such as trunk length and diameter,
number of leaves and leaflets, leaflet area, leaflet dried matter weight, spesific leaflet area andchlorophyll index of adult palms were measured. In addition, sago root, pith, petiole, andleaflet samples were collected to measure nutrient content in the plant. Nitrogen (N) content
in plant samples were measured by C-N coder. Posphate (P) content was determined byammonium molybdate method. Potassium (K) content were analyzed by ion chromatography(Shimadzu). Boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) were
determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES, Nippon
Jarrell Ash).
Results and Discussion The diameter of trunk, number of leaflets, leaflet area, leaflet driedmatter weight, specific leaf area and chlorophyll index of sago palm grown in deep peat soil
were significantly small. It was suspected that nutrient deficiency might account for the poor
performance of sago palm growth in peat soil. The N and P contents on the basis of unit soilvolume in peat soil were low. It might account for lower N and P contents in the plant in peatsoil. The K content in the plant grown in peat soil was comparatively high. Former studies
reported that sago palm can maintain higher leaf potassium even in problem soils such as salt
or water stresses (Azhar, 2020; Ehara et al., 2008). Further investigation on potassium
absorption ability in sago palm under severe environment is needed to utilize its physiologicalfeatures under suboptimal growth conditions. A few reports about Cu and Zn deficiency insago palm grown in peat soil exist (Nitta et al., 2000; Kakuda et al., 2015). In this study, notonly Cu and Zn but also Fe and Mn contents in the plants were examined and they weresignificantly low in peat soil. Contrarily, the B content in the plant was higher in peat soil
rather than in mineral soil. According to Kakuda et al. (2015), B deficiency is often
observed in oil palm but no report in case of sago palm. From the current study, it isconsidered that boron deficiency may not be observed in sago palm in peat soil. Appropriate
management techniques need to established for compensating the low availability of somenutrients in peat soil.
References
Azhar, A. 2020 Ph.D. Dissertation, Nagoya University.
Ehara, H., H. Shibata, W. Prathumyoto, H. Naito and H. Miyake 2008 Trop. Agr. Develop. 52:
7–16.
Kakuda, K., Y. Sasaki and F.S. Jong 2015 Fertilizer application. In: The Society of Sago Palm
Studies (ed) The Sago Palm. Kyoto University Press, Kyoto and Trans Pacific Press,
Melbourne.
Nitta, Y, T. Yoshida, Y. Yamamoto, F.S. Jong 2000 Proceedings of the 9th Conference of SSPS,
54 – 57.

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Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Colonized in the Root of Sago Palm
Grown in Mineral and Shallow Peat Soil
Koki Asano 1*, Willy Vincent Anak Kagong 2, Siraj Munir Bin Mohammad 2, Kurumi Sakazaki 3,
Margaret Chan Kit Yok 2, Toshiyuki Isoi 3 and Hiroshi Ehara 1
1
Nagoya University, 2 Universiti Teknologi MARA, 3 Meijo University
Introduction It is well known that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF; phylum Glomeromycota)form mutualistic associations with the roots of most terrestrial plants and enhance the plant’s
nutrient uptake by extending the root absorbing area. In the case of sago palm (Metroxylon sagu),
colonization of AMF in the roots was observed when it was associated with mycorrhizal inocula(Asano et al. 2019). This study investigated the AMF colonization and community structures in theroot of the sago palm grown in different soil environments.
Materials and Methods The soil and roots at the soil depth of 0-15 cm below the ground surface
were collected from the sago palm grown in mineral soil (MS) in Universiti Teknologi MARA
Cawangan Sarawak Kampus Samarahan (1º26.26’ N, 110 º 27.11’E) and shallow peat soil (SPS) in
Dalat, Sarawak (2 º 51.14’N, 111 º 49.38’E). The percentage of AMF colonization was determinedby the grid-line intersect method. Soil properties were measured by the usual methods. Total DNA
from the roots was extracted using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). PCR was conductedusing the AMF specific primer pair AMV4.5NF/AMDGR which is coding 18S rRNA gene. PCR
products were paired-end (PE) sequenced (2×300bp) using an instrument of Illumina MiSeq
amplicon sequencing at the Bioengineering Lab Co., Ltd. Representative sequences were alignedwith known AMF taxa from NCBI Genbank and a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree with 1000
bootstrap replicates was created using MEGA X software.
Results and discussion The soil bulk density was 1.03 g/cm3 and 0.20 g/cm3 in MS and SPS,
respectively. The soil moisture content was 38.1% (MS) and 79.8% (SPS). The soil pH (H2O) was
4.6 (MS) and 4.1 (SPS). The chemical properties were 66.2 kg C, 16.9 kg N, 1.6 g P2O5 in soil (m3)(MS) and 69.7 kg C, 2.7 kg N, 1.9 g P2O5 in soil (m3) (SPS). The structure of AMF was observed inboth root samples using the microscope, and the colonization rate was 73.2% (MS) and 39.2%(SPS). A total of 122 AMF OTUs containing 78 OTUs from the MS sample and 50 OTUs from the
SPS sample (6 shared OTUs) were obtained. The phylogenic analysis with reference sequence
successfully classified the 118 AMF sequences into Claroideoglomeraceae, Glomeraceae,
Gigasporaceae, and Acaulosporaceae. Some phyletic groups belonging to Glomeraceae andAcaulosporaceae include only the OTUs from the MS sample, and one phyletic group belonging to
Acaulosporaceae includes only the OTUs from the SPS sample. It was suggested that the AMF
colonization and its communities in the root of sago palm were influenced by the different soil
physiochemical properties.
Reference
Asano, K., T. Isoi, H. Murano, A. Azhar, Y.B. Pasolon and H. Ehara 2019 Sago Palm 27: 9-14.
(This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP20J22186.)

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Abstracts of 29th Annual Meeting of Sago Palm Studies

The Occurrence of Indigenous VA-Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Rhizosphere of
Two Types Sago Palms
Yulius B. Pasolon1, Yuvensius Junidin1, Namriah1 and Hiroshi Ehara2
1

Faculty of Agriculture, Halu Oleo University, Kendari 93232, Indonesia. 2Applied Social System
Institute of Asia, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-860, Japan

Introduction
Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (VAMF) are must an ecologically obligate symbionts withphotosynthetic plants and aerobic microorganism. Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) wascharacterized as amphibious crops which can tolerate submerge and non-submerge soil conditions.
This preliminary study was purposed to identify the occurrence of indigenous VAMF in therhizosphere of two type sago palms.
Material and Methods
This experiment was conducted in Botanical Sago Garden of Halu Oleo University, which plantedwith sago Molat (non spiny, fruit without seed, original Southeast Sulawesi Province), multiplied
from sucker and planted at 2010 (Fig.1). Manno F-1 sago (spiny, wild type, fruit with fertile seed,original Sentani, Jayapura, Papua Province) multiplied from seed, and planted at 2012 (Fig. 2).
Plant distance was 7.0 m x 7.0 m.

Fig.1. Mother Palm of Molat sago.
Fig.2. Mother palm of Manno sago.
Soil and root samples were collected from three sago clumps of Manno, Molat and non sago areafrom two soil depths: 0-10 cm (top soil = TS) and 10-20 cm (sub soil = SS). Soil pH (HO) was
determined by pH-meter, C-organic by Walkley and Black methods, total-N by Kjeldhal method,
Total K and total-P determined after extracted by HCL 25 % (Olsen and Sommers, 1982). Soil
texture was determined by pipet method. About 5 g of the fine lateral branch roots was collectedfrom two soil depths TS and SS layers. Root sample soaked by 10 % KOH (w/v), bleached by 2 %HCL (w/v) and stained by 0.05% trypan blue (Giovannetti and Mosse, 1980). VAMF spore wasdetermined from 50 g soil by sieving and decanting method (Kormanik and McGrow, 1982), andVAM’s genera identification based on Schenck and Pérez (1988).
Results and Discussion
Soil texture in this sago garden and non-sago garden was sandy loam (Table 1), which indicatedthat soil medium from top to sub layers were dominated by sand (57.0 %), medium silt (36.0 %)and less amount (7.0 %) of clay minerals. This soil physical condition may not suitable for sago
palm growth as shown in Fig.3 and Fig.4. This indicated that soil microorganism association e.g.
VA-Mycorrhizal Fungi was very important especially in dry season. Soil pH is acidic, with low toAbstracts of 29th Annual Meeting of Sago Palm Studies

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medium organic C. Total N, K and P was low to medium levels as indicated in Table 1. VAM
infection rate was not significantly different between Manno and Molat sago, however,Mannosago have a greater VAM infection rate (63 %) if compared with VAM infection rate in Molat sago
(53 %) as shown in Fig.5. VAM infection rate in TS slightly higher than in SS layer. Average of
VAM’s spore density in Manno and Molat sago was not so different, however, both sago types was
induced VAM’s spore density about 200 % higher than with non-sago area as shown in Fig.6.
This indicated that indigenous VAMF activities were induced by the presence of sago palm crops.
We observed that at least three VAM’s Genera type-like in sago palms rhizosphere namely:
Acaulospora sp., Glomus sp., and Gigaspora sp. (Schenck and Pérez, 1988). Those genera should
be identified in detail taxonomic analysis by total DNA analysis as explained by Asano et al. (2020).
From the above explanation we can concluded that Manno and Molat sago palm cultivation was
induced indigenous VAM’s activities in the soil rhizosphere of Botanical Sago Palm Garden of
Halu Oleo University.

*TS-top soil and SS-sub soil

Fig.3. Growth of Manno Sago

Fig.6. VAM spore density

Fig.4. Growth of Molat sago

Fig.5. VAM infection rate

References
Asano, K., Kagong, W.V.A., Mohammad, S.M.B.,
Sakazaki, K., Yok, M.C.K., Isoi, T. and Ehara, H.
2020 Proceeding The 29th Conference of The SSPS,
2020.p.21-22.
Giovannetti, M. and Mosse, B., 1980. New Physiologist
84. p. 489-500.
Olsen, S.R. and Sommers, L.E. 1982 Methods of Soil
Analysis (Page, A.L., Miller, R.H., Keeney, D.R.,
eds.). Part 2, 2nd Ed. Amer. Soc. of Agron. Inc.
Madison Wisconsin, USA.
Schenck, N.C. and Pérez, Y. 1988 Phosphorus. In:
Manual for the Identification of VAMycorrhizal Fungi. p.19-25.

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Abstracts of 29th Annual Meeting of Sago Palm Studies

Effects of Purification and Modification of Sago Frond Cellulose
on Its Dye Adsorption Capacity
Titi Candra Sunarti*, Puji Hernawan, Moh. Yani, Niken Ayu Permatasari
Department of Agroindustrial Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering & Technology,
Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University) – Indonesia. *e-mail: titi-cs@apps.ipb.ac.id
Introduction
Sago fronds are agriculture waste liberated from sago trunk harvesting. Native sago frond(without leaflet and rachis) consisted high cellulose, low lignin contents, and small amount ofstarch. Since sago fronds are a low-protein and high-fibre material, it that has been shown to bepalatable and to have a good feeding potential for several herbivores.
Jamaludin et al. (1995) has reported the potency of sago palm fronds in pulp and papermaking
due to its durability, supported by Kasim et al. (1995) reported that sago frond has long fibre andhigh L/D ratio. But Abd Rahman et al. (2018) reported the utilization of natural cellulose fibre forwaste water treatment. The reactivity of cellulose hydroxyl groups, has a dominant role in theadsorption of dyes. Its ability to adsorb dyes can be increased by purification of cellulose andsuitable chemical modification of its surface.
In this research sago frond fibre (SFF), its sago frond cellulose fraction (SFC) produced fromextracted and delignified SSF, and modified cellulose by carboxymethylation (CMC) were
investigated to their capabilities to bind the cationic dye (methylene blue). The influences ofcontact time, pH and the concentration of dye to the adsorption efficiency and capacity were
determined by using the simulated dye effluent. This made sago frond and its cellulose fraction
potentially can be used as environmentally friendly adsorbent to minimize the water pollution
caused by dyes.
Materials and Methods
Preparation of Sago Frond Fibre (SFF)
Fresh sago fronds without leaflet and rachis were obtained from ten years sago (Metroxylonsago) trunk cultivated in ex-situ BPPT experimental field in Balubang Jaya, Bogor City. The
fronds were divided into two parts, the upper parts (A) and the lower parts (B). The fresh frond was
crushed and added with water; then the starch was eliminated by hydrolysis with -amylase(Thermamil, Novo Enzyme) and boiled for 30 min. The filtrate was removed and the residue wassundried and pulverized by hammer mill until passed the 40 mesh screens.
Preparation of Sago Frond Cellulose (SFC)
Cellulose fraction was obtained by purification through delignification and bleaching processaccording to Tasaso (2015) method. TFS was delignified in alkali hydrothermal treatment by using
10% of NaOH solution in high temperature and pressure. Residue from this treatment was washingby distilled water several times. Dried residue was bleached by the addition of 30% of H2O2 at 70oC
until the residue turn into bleached white material, and then dried.
Preparation of Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)
Preparation of CMC was conducted by Tasaso (2015) method, consisted of alkalization,esterification with MCA and then neutralized by acetic acid solution.

Abstracts of 29th Annual Meeting of Sago Palm Studies

69

Dye Adsorption by Sago Frond fibre and its Derivatives
Methylene blue was selected as cationic dye in simulated dye effluent. The experiments were
designed by investigating the effects of contact time (0-90 min), pH of simulated water (pH 2-8), anddye concentration (5-20 ppm) to the efficiency and adsorption capacity. Separation between
adsorbent and adsorbate was conducted by decantation. The OD spectroscopy of filtrates wasdetermined at  665 nm. Procedure for the determination of dye adsorption was modified from
Raghuvanshi et al. (2004) method.
Results and Discussion
Carbohydrate and fibre were the main components of sago frond flour. Purification throughdelignification and bleaching process caused the increasing of cellulose content from 28-37% to60-71%, reducing the hemicellulose and lignin contents. Carboxy methyl cellulose produced fromfrond cellulose has low degree of substitution with DS 0.26-0.31.
Almost of all adsorbent can adsorb the dye in short time, but the maximum dye adsorption
obtained from the adsorbate with pH 8. For SFF, SFC and CMC the maximum dye adsorption
occurred after 15, 30 and 60 min. The highest adsorption capacity was produced from SFC, which
can adsorb 1.397 mg of dye per g of sago frond flour at dye concentration 15 ppm or 92.58% ofefficiency, followed by SFC as 0.977 mg of dye per g of cellulose at dye concentration 10 ppm or
97.5% of efficiency.
Conclusion
The sago frond fibre, its cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose can be used to adsorb the methylene
blue from simulated waste water. Delignification and bleaching improved the purity of cellulose
components and increased the adsorption capacity and efficiency. Carboxymethylation of cellulose
fibre increasing the amorphous fraction and made it more soluble in water. This madecarboxymethylcellulose was difficult to be separated with the adsorbate.
Acknowledgement
This paper was a part of the research financially supported by KP4S Grant No.
455.7/PL.040/H.1/06/2018. K. Project fiscal year 2017-2018 for Titi Candra Sunarti.
Reference
Abd Rahman, N.S., M.F. Yhaya, B. Azahari, and W.R. Ismail. 2018. Utilisation of natural cellulose
fibres in wastewater treatment. Cellulose 25: 4887–4903
Jamaludin, K., T.M. Paridah, S. Hamami, and W.T. Yin. 1995. Soda anthraquinone pulping of sago
palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottboel.) fronds. Acta Hortic. 389: 237-248.
Kasim, J., Latif Mohmod, Abd., Choon, K. and Zin Jusuh, Mohd. 1995. Fibre morphology andchemical constituents of Metroxylon sagu fronds. Acta Hortic. 389: 107-116
Raghuvanshi SP, Sing R, Kaushik CP. 2004. Kinetics study of methylene blue dye bioadsorption on
baggase. App Ecol Env Res. 2: 35-43.
Tasaso P. 2015. Optimization of reaction condition for synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose fromoil palm fronds. Int J Chem Eng Appl. 6(2): 101-104.