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REVIEW
Sago Starch and Its Utilisation
SURAINI ABD-AZIZ’
Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Food Science h Biotechnology, Universify Putra Malaysia,
43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia’
The importance and development of industrial biotechnology processing has led to the utili-
sation of microbial enzymes in various applications. One of the important enzymes is amylase,
which hydrolyses starch to glucose. In Malaysia, the use of sago starch has been increasing, and it
is presently being used for the production of glucose. Sago starch represents an alternative cheap
carbon source for fermentation processes that is attractive out of both economic and geographical
considerations. Production of fermentable sugars from the hydrolysis of starches is normally car-
ried out by an enzymatic processes that involves two reaction steps, liquefaction and saccharifi-
cation, each of which has different temperature and pH optima with respect to the maximum re-
action rate. This method of starch hydrolysis requires the use of an expensive temperature control
system and a complex mixing device. Our laboratory has investigated the possibility of using
amylolytic enzyme-producing microorganisms in the continuous single-step biological hydrolysis
of sago flour for the production of a generic fermentation medium. The ability of a novel DNA-re-
combinated yeast, Saccharamyces cerevisiae strain YKU 107 (expressing a-amylase production)
to hydrolyse gelatinised sago starch production has been studied with the aim of further utilizing
sago starch to obtain value-added products.
[Key words: biological hydrolysis, fermentable sugar, microbial processing, recombinant yeast, sago pith residues,
sago starch]
The palms (Palmae) constitute one of the oldest plant the Malay Archipelago to travel far and wide, and made the
families on earth. Several indigenous communities have de- colonisation of the many islands possible. Unfortunately,
veloped self-sufficient economies based on various palms. sago is now only a minor crop in Peninsular Malaysia, occu-
Examples are the Amerindians based on the moriche palm pying less than 1% of the total agricultural land. The largest
(Mauritiaflexuosa), Arabs of the sub-Sahara based on the sago-growing areas in Malaysia are to be found outside the
date palm (Phoenix ductylifers), South Indians based on the Peninsula, in the state of Sarawak, which is now the world’s
palmyra palm (BorussusJlabeZZifer), Roto Islanders of Indo- biggest exporter of sago, exporting annually about 25,000 to
nesia based on the lontar palm (Borussus sundaicus), Indo- 40,000 t of sago products to Peninsular Malaysia, Japan,
Pacific islanders based on the coconut (Cocos nucifera), Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries (Malaysian Agricul-
West Africans based on the oil palm (Hueis quineensis), tural Economics Association, http://www.econ.upm.edu.my/
and Moluccans based on the sago palm (Metroxylon sagu -pet&ago/sago.html).
Rottboll) (1). Before the emergence of rice, sago (Metroxy- Sago is grown in Sarawak as a smallholder crop. The pro-
Zon sugu Rottboll) was the main source of sustenance for the duction capacity of the sago palm varies from 2-5 t of dry
inhabitants of the Malay Archipelago. starch/ha in the wild to lo-25 t/ha in the case of cultivated
The sago palm (Metroxylon spp.) is 6-14 m tall and ha- plants (2). A clump density of 590palms/acre, or 1480
paxantic - that is, it flowers once and dies shortly there- palms/ha, allows an annual harvest of 125-140palms/year
after. Just before flowering, the plant converts its stored nu- (1). A well-tended farm can produce 175 kg starch/palm,
trients into starch, which tills the trunk. Desiccated products giving a total yield of 25 t/ha. In 1987, only 3460 ha were
made from sago starch can be stored for exceptionally long under sago palm cultivation, but a total area of 61,980 ha
periods. This dried provision enabled early inhabitants of was estimated to be available for production (3). The Land
Custody and Development Authority of Sarawak (PELITA;
a government statutory body) has started to develop two
e-mail: suraini@putra.upm.edu.my sago plantations, the Dalat Sago Plantation (1600 ha) lo-
phone: +603-89468363 fax: +603-89423552 cated on the border between Oya and Igan, and the Mukah
The costs of publication of this article were supported in part by
Sago Plantation (20,000 ha) located in the Mukah District.
Grants-in-Aid for Publication Scientific Research Results from the
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, The underlying aim in these plantations is the application of
Japan (no. 143050). modern, scientific agricultural technology and a large-scale
526
VOL. 94,2002 SAG0 STARCH AND ITS UTILISATION 527
institutional organization to exploit the cultivation of sago, TABLE 1. Utilization of sago starch
which has thus far been cultivated in a primitive and semi- Sag0 palm part Usage/Utilization
wild manner.
Refined saao starch An ingredient of noodles, vermicelli (bee-
hoon)SKuah-Tiau, biscuits, and many other
I. TRADITIONAL USES OF THE SAG0 PALM foods
AND ITS RESIDUES Used industrially in products such as mono-
sodium glutamate, glucose, caramel (color
Like other basic starches, sago starch is tasteless on its milk), fructose, syrups, etc.
own and is usually flavoured with other foodstuffs. Since Sago fiber Provides bulk for rumen fermention
sago contains virtually no fat or protein, it must be supple- Sago pitch Used as an animal feedstuff and in the live-
stock industry
mented with foods obtained from hunting, fishing, gather-
Sago fronds Used in the pulp and paper industries
ing, or small gardens. Besides their starch, sago palms are
also treasured for their leaves, which make tine waterproof
thatched roofs. They are strong, and can be woven into lulosic, mushrooms thrive on this waste. The cultivation of
bags, baskets, cages of all sizes, or rope. Sago leaves are edible mushrooms on lignocellulosic and cellulosic residues
also utilized to make spoons and to wrap food (Singapore is well known (6-9), and represents the only current large-
Zoological Gardens Docents, http://www.szgdocent.org/ff/ scale controlled application of microbial technology for the
f-sago.htm). profitable conversion of agroindustry waste. Another appli-
Another side-product of the sago palm is the sago grub, cation lies in its use as additional carbon in anaerobic di-
which is the larva of the Capricorn beetle (Rhynchophorus gesters for the production of biogas.
ferrungineus/6ilineatus). The Asmat tribe celebrates special As part of the effort to convert sago palm-growing into
occasions by consuming the grubs either raw or roasted. plantation cultivation, recent years have seen more research
The Korowai also have sago festivals, the preparations for aimed at increasing the utilisation of sago and its residues.
which last for 3 months. A large party-house is built with all Sago palms have great potential for starch production in
the special features needed to enjoy the sago grub. These in- Malaysia. Starch is a well-known and abundant renewable
clude a traditional fire that is always kept burning and spe- raw material, and sago is one of its sources. In Malaysia,
cial racks on which to store the grubs. Sago palms are cut sago starch ranks fifth highest in terms of agricultural reve-
down, sometimes up to 200, holes are made in the trunks to nue after pepper, palm oil, cocoa, and rubber. Sago starch
allow the beetles to enter, and the trunks are then left on the prepared from the pith of several genera of palms in the
ground. The beetles, which are only attracted to damaged form of small whitish, pinkish or brownish grains, is ex-
palms, quickly lay their eggs in the starchy material. In ported to Europe and America, where it is used mainly for
about 6 weeks, the beetle larvae are plump and ready to thickening soups and making puddings. It is widely used in
pupate. Each palm may contain up to 100 sago grubs. The Indonesia, and in India it is boiled with sugar to make a
grubs are harvested by cutting through the palm. The grubs jelly. Starch from the sago palm is a natural raw material
are eaten raw, or mixed with sago flour and steamed. The alongside that from other important starch-producing plants
Asmat eat sago mixed with fish, meat or vegetables, wrap- such as potato, corn, tapioca, rice, and wheat.
ped in palm leaves, and roasted on an open fire. Another Sarawak exports about 50,000 t of air-dried flour a year
favourite is a long sausage about 20 cm long made of sago produced from sago palms grown commercially on small-
mixed with grubs. The most common way to eat sago is to holdings. By growing sago instead of other commercial
roll it into fist-sized balls, which are then roasted on an open crops that require the draining of peat swamps, the benefits
fire. As well as the Asmat, sago is also eaten by a wide of such swamps (preventing floods and droughts, and main-
range of tribes and traditional people living near swamps taining a source of clean ground water) can be retained. The
where sago flourishes, e.g., in Borneo. For these people, sago palm’s large fibrous roots trap silt and remove heavy
sago is often the staple food, providing the bulk of their cal- metals and minerals that may poison life further down-
ories (Singapore Zoological Gardens Docents). stream. The sago palm also requires no fertilisation and has
few natural pests or diseases. Perhaps sago will eventually
II. PRESENT USES OF THE SAG0 PALM become a key crop that can be grown in areas where it is
AND ITS RESIDUES impossible for other crops to flourish. Besides its use as a
foodstuff, sago starch can also be utilized to produce ad-
After removing cortex, rachis, and leaflets from the pith,
hesives for paper, textiles, and plywood; as a stabilizer in
which is probably the most labor-intensive operation in sago
pharmaceuticals; or converted to other types of food. It is
palm processing, starch has to be extracted from the pith.
now widely employed together with other starches in the
The non-pith parts of the sago palm trunk are utilized in a
production of noodles, monosodium glutamate, and soft
variety of ways (4, 5): as an excellent building material for
drinks. New uses for sago include in biodegradable plastics,
local and urban houses, sheds, or other buildings; as a re-
fuel alcohol, and ethanol (Singapore Zoological Gardens
source for cornposting (biofertiliser); as a resource for gas-
Docents). Table 1 summarised the utilisation of sago starch
ification and energy production; and as an animal feed.
and its residues.
The pith consists mainly of starch, which has to be sepa-
rated from the cellulosic cell walls of the trunk. The residue
III. MICROBIAL BIOPROCESSING OF STARCH
from starch extraction is a very strong pollutant because of
its cellulosic fibrous material. Since it is almost purely cel- The production marketable products from starch requires
528 ABD-AZIZ J. Broscr. BIOENG.,
TABLE 2. Effect of pH on a-amylase production and hydrolysis of gelatinised sago starch (60 g/1) to reducing sugar
G x Max a-amylase Productivity Yield of a-amylase
Initial pH
($! (d5 ct activity (U/ml) &wing s&l. h) (U’gS&l)
5.5 8.10 14.82 23 1.90 0.247 0.352 0.032
6.0 16.69 16.86 36 2.40 0.281 0.464 0.040
7.0 15.47 16.56 45 2.15 0.276 0.344 0.036
VOL. 94,2002 SAG0 STARCH AND ITS UTILISATION 529