Chapter 13
Starch
Abstract Starch plays a significant role in the economy as it serves as a source
for two products; food and bioethanol, both of which are essential commodities. It
is also used in several other industries and discussed in this chapter. In the aquatic
environment, starch can be sourced from aquatic plants and algae. Starch-producing
aquatic organisms have a significant role to play in the production of third-generation
biofuel which does not require already limited arable land for the cultivation. The
unique chemistry of some aquatic starch forms makes them attractive for specific
industrial applications.
Keywords Starch · Polysaccharides · Carbohydrates · Polymers · Aquatic
13.1 Introduction
Starch is a carbohydrate which is more commonly associated with terrestrial food
crops such as cassava and corn which forms staple foods and biofuel feedstock in
many parts of the world. Some aquatic organisms also contain starch; for example,
aquatic sources of starch are algae, duckweeds and water hyacinths. Although starch
is a biopolymer that is not exclusive to the aquatic environment, aquatic-sourced
starch plays a significant role as an alternative source of starch in many industries.
One of the potential economic importance of aquatic-sourced starch is the potential for the use in biofuel production. While the first-generation biofuels created
the promise of a renewable source of energy (Eichelmann et al. 2016), the secondgeneration biofuel promises a renewable source of energy that does not compete
with food (Negm et al. 2018), and the promise of the third generation of biofuel from
aquatic resources such as algae (Yew et al. 2019) is a supply of fermentable biomass
for ethanol production which does not threaten food security or the environment
and does not compete with terrestrial animals and humans for land space. Thirdgeneration biofuel from algae and aquatic plants can achieve the goal of carbonneutral biofuel production. This is mainly owing to the fact that the process of cultivation of algae and aquatic plants removes carbon dioxide from the environment.
This is unlike in the case of fossil fuel extraction and refinery which leads to further
carbon emissions.
© Springer International Publishing 2020
O. Olatunji, Aquatic Biopolymers, Springer Series on Polymer and Composite Materials,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34709-3_13
287
Starch
Abstract Starch plays a significant role in the economy as it serves as a source
for two products; food and bioethanol, both of which are essential commodities. It
is also used in several other industries and discussed in this chapter. In the aquatic
environment, starch can be sourced from aquatic plants and algae. Starch-producing
aquatic organisms have a significant role to play in the production of third-generation
biofuel which does not require already limited arable land for the cultivation. The
unique chemistry of some aquatic starch forms makes them attractive for specific
industrial applications.
Keywords Starch · Polysaccharides · Carbohydrates · Polymers · Aquatic
13.1 Introduction
Starch is a carbohydrate which is more commonly associated with terrestrial food
crops such as cassava and corn which forms staple foods and biofuel feedstock in
many parts of the world. Some aquatic organisms also contain starch; for example,
aquatic sources of starch are algae, duckweeds and water hyacinths. Although starch
is a biopolymer that is not exclusive to the aquatic environment, aquatic-sourced
starch plays a significant role as an alternative source of starch in many industries.
One of the potential economic importance of aquatic-sourced starch is the potential for the use in biofuel production. While the first-generation biofuels created
the promise of a renewable source of energy (Eichelmann et al. 2016), the secondgeneration biofuel promises a renewable source of energy that does not compete
with food (Negm et al. 2018), and the promise of the third generation of biofuel from
aquatic resources such as algae (Yew et al. 2019) is a supply of fermentable biomass
for ethanol production which does not threaten food security or the environment
and does not compete with terrestrial animals and humans for land space. Thirdgeneration biofuel from algae and aquatic plants can achieve the goal of carbonneutral biofuel production. This is mainly owing to the fact that the process of cultivation of algae and aquatic plants removes carbon dioxide from the environment.
This is unlike in the case of fossil fuel extraction and refinery which leads to further
carbon emissions.
© Springer International Publishing 2020
O. Olatunji, Aquatic Biopolymers, Springer Series on Polymer and Composite Materials,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34709-3_13
287