Histological description of fresh, cooked and frozen cassava flesh

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the histological feature of cassava flesh at harvest, after cooking and after freezing. A light optical microscopy was used to analyze the relevant aspects of cassava flesh at these statuses. The non-uniform aspect of cooked cassava is associated with the partial dissolution of the middle lamella and the large amount of non-collapsed cells, while the formation of numerous spaces between cells determines the spongy aspect of cassava after freezing. These data increase the knowledge about cassava post harvest and its processing.