# Isolation and Characterization of Starch from Different Potato Cultivars Grown in Croatia
###### Abstract  
Starch is a polysaccharide that is widely used in food and other industries; therefore, due to its great potential, it is attempted to be maximally isolated from various foods rich in starch. Commonly, potatoes are used for starch production due to the relatively high starch content in tubers, and the process itself is complex and includes several steps. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize starch from eight potato varieties. First, the basic chemical composition of the potato samples was determined, and then the isolation was carried out under laboratory conditions. The isolated starch was air dried, then ground and sieved through a 400 \(\upmu\)m sieve. The basic chemical composition, amylose content, starch color, swelling capacity and solubility index, clarity of starch pastes, texture of starch gels and thermo-physical properties (gelatinization and retrogradation) were determined in the obtained starch samples. The results showed that the SL 13-25 potato variety had the lowest starch content, while the Stilleto variety had the highest starch content. The content of protein, fat, ash and crude fiber was relatively low in all of the isolated starches, indicating their high purity. Also, the difference in the color of the isolated starches was difficult to see. The highest amylose content had starch from Saprodi, while the lowest was observed in starch from SL 13-25. Starch from the cv. Dartiest had the highest, while starch from the cv. Sereno had the lowest gel strength. The starch of the cv. Dartiest also had the highest clarity value. The retrogradation transition temperatures and enthalpies were lower compared to the gelatinization temperatures and enthalpies. With the increasing temperature, both the swelling capacity and the solubility index of all the samples increased. According to the obtained differences, this study confirmed the significant influence and role of different cultivars on starch characteristics.  
potato; starch; isolation; characterization 20 November 2023  
16 January 20241 February 202 solid components--starch and fiber--from the liquid potato juice. The goal of the starch production industry is to obtain starch with as few impurities as possible--i.e., to obtain the highest yield of starch--and this is a complex and demanding process that includes a series of steps [5; 6].  
The process of producing starch from potatoes can be conducted in three ways; namely, by separating the three components during production: the starch itself, fibers and potato juice. The economy over a long period of processing should also be taken into account, as well as parameters such as the dry matter, starch and protein content [7].  
This research aimed to examine the influence of different potato cultivars on the starch properties: starch color, swelling capacity and solubility index, clarity of starch pastes, texture of starch gels and thermophysical properties of starch (gelatinization and retrogradation). For this purpose, starch was isolated from eight potato cultivars grown in the area of Osijek-Baranja County.