Henry Egharevba

By Henry Omoregie Egharevba

Starch is an important food product and a versatile biomaterial used world-wide for different purposes in many industrial sectors including foods, health, textile, chemical and engineering sector. Starch versatility in industrial applications is largely defined by its physicochemical properties and functionality. Starch in its native form has limited functionality and application. But advancements in biotechnology and chemical technological have led to wide-range modification of starch for different purposes. The objective of this chapter is to examine the different chemical reactions of starch and expose the food applications of the modification products. Several literatures on starch and reaction chemistry including online journals and books were analyzed, harmonized and rationalized. The reactions and mechanisms presented are explained based on the principles of reaction chemistry. Chemical modification of starch is based on the chemical reactivity of the constituent glucose monomers which are polyhydroxyl and can undergo several reactions. Starch can undergo reactions such as hydrolysis, esterification, etherification and oxidation. These reactions give modified starches which can be used in baked foods, confectionaries, soups and salad dressings. This chapter discusses the different chemical reactions of starch, the associated changes in functionality, as well as the applications of chemically modified starches in the food industry.

Part of the book: Chemical Properties of Starch

By Obi Peter Adigwe, Henry O. Egharevba and Martins Ochubiojo Emeje

Amidst growing concerns for environmental degradation by anthropologic activities and use of non-biodegradable materials for industrial and household purposes, a focus on natural polymeric materials offers the veritable prospects for future survival. Although some synthetic polymers are biodegradable, the process of production that is usually non-green adds to environmental pollution. Natural polymers are naturally occurring organic molecules such as cellulose, starch, glycoproteins and proteins. They are mostly obtained from plant sources, but are also produced in animal and microorganisms. One of the most abundant natural polymers of multidimensional and multifaceted application is starch. Starch is used across wide-range applications spanning engineering, food and beverages, textile, chemical, pharmaceuticals and health, etc. This is because it can readily be modified into products of desired physicochemical characteristics, thus making starch a potential tool for industrial and economic revolution. The global trade balance for starch and derived products is about $1.12 trillion, presenting a huge opportunity for more investment in starch production. Africa’s negative starch trade balance of about $1.27 trillion makes it a potential investment destination for starch production. This chapter discusses the use of starch in various industrial sectors, its potentials for sustainable economic development and as a veritable natural polymer for economic revolution.

Part of the book: Starch

By Simon Koma Okwute and Henry Omoregie Egharevba

Insect pests are found commonly in two critical areas of human life: the farms and crop storage facilities and the home, where they cause a number of problems, including the destruction of various forms of materials such as clothes and cellulose-based items by ants, as well as nuisances and disease-transmitting activities perpetrated by mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, and bugs. For ages, man has tried to fight the menace of insects using traditional and scientific methods, including the use of chemicals. In this work, the historical aspect of the use of insecticides for pest control, the challenge of the development of insect resistance, the potential for and incidences of environmental and health hazards, adverse effects on climate change, and the search for new agents, particularly from natural products of plant origin, are discussed. The challenges and the strategic advantages of the use of various classes of insecticides are also presented. The need for the application of lessons learned from human pharmaceutical science, the deployment of emerging technologies in the search for new insecticidal moieties and biopesticides, and the development of new and more efficient insecticide application tools and technologies are also discussed.

Part of the book: Insecticides in Pest Control - Impact, Challenges and Strategies [Working title]