Composition Of Starch Granules Research Articles

Influence of Starch Composition and Molecular Weight on Physicochemical Properties of Biodegradable Films.

Thermoplastic starch (TPS) films are considered one of the most promising alternatives for replacing synthetic polymers in the packaging field due to the starch biodegradability, low cost, and abundant availability. However, starch granule composition, expressed in terms of amylose content and phosphate monoesters, and molecular weight of starch clearly affects some film properties. In this contribution, biodegradable TPS films made from potato, corn, wheat, and rice starch were prepared using the casting technique. The effect of the grain structure of each starch on microstructure, transparency, hydration properties, crystallinity, and mechanical properties of the films, was evaluated. Potato starch films were the most transparent and corn starch films the most opaque. All the films had homogeneous internal structures—highly amorphous and with no pores, both of which point to a good starch gelatinization process. The maximum tensile strength (4.48–8.14 MPa), elongation at break (35.41–100.34%), and Young’s modulus (116.42–294.98 MPa) of the TPS films were clearly influenced by the amylose content, molecular weight, and crystallinity of the film. In this respect, wheat and corn starch films, are the most resistant and least stretchable, while rice starch films are the most extensible but least resistant. These findings show that all the studied starches can be considered suitable for manufacturing resistant and flexible films with similar properties to those of synthetic low-density polyethylene (LDPE), by a simple and environmentally-friendly process.

Soft and Hard Textured Wheat Differ in Starch Properties as Indicated by Trimodal Distribution, Morphology, Thermal and Crystalline Properties.

Starch and proteins are major components in the wheat endosperm that affect its end product quality. Between the two textural classes of wheat i.e. hard and soft, starch granules are loosely bound with the lipids and proteins in soft wheat due to higher expression of interfering grain softness proteins. It might have impact on starch granules properties. In this work for the first time the physiochemical and structural properties of different sized starch granules (A-, B- and C-granules) were studied to understand the differences in starches with respect to soft and hard wheat. A-, B- and C-type granules were separated with >95% purity. Average number and proportion of A-, B-, and C-type granules was 18%, 56%, 26% and 76%, 19%, 5% respectively. All had symmetrical birefringence pattern with varied intensity. All displayed typical A-type crystallites. A-type granules also showed V-type crystallinity that is indicative of starch complexes with lipids and proteins. Granules differing in gelatinization temperature (ΔH) and transition temperature (ΔT), showed different enthalpy changes during heating. Substitution analysis indicated differences in relative substitution pattern of different starch granules. Birefringence, percentage crystallinity, transmittance, gelatinization enthalpy and substitution decreased in order of A>B>C being higher in hard wheat than soft wheat. Amylose content decreased in order of A>B>C being higher in soft wheat than hard wheat. Reconstitution experiment showed that starch properties could be manipulated by changing the composition of starch granules. Addition of A-granules to total starch significantly affected its thermal properties. Effect of A-granule addition was higher than B- and C-granules. Transmittance of the starch granules paste showed that starch granules of hard wheat formed clear paste. These results suggested that in addition to differences in protein concentration, hard and soft wheat lines have differences in starch composition also.

Differences in Starch Granule Composition and Structure Influence In Vitro Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Grain Meal and Extracted Starch in Two Classes of Canadian Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

ABSTRACTStarch granule composition and amylopectin structure affect starch digestibility, an important factor influencing wheat grain utilization for human food consumption. Six bread wheat cultivars with four belonging to the Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and two Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) market classes were analyzed for the relationship between their grain constituents and in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. CPSR cultivars had higher starch and amylose concentrations compared with CWRS cultivars, which had a higher protein concentration. Starch granule size distribution did not differ among the genotypes, except AC Foremost, which had significantly (P < 0.05) higher volume percent of B‐type starch granules (≈15%) and lower volume percent of A‐type starch granules (≈9%) compared with other cultivars. Fluorophore‐assisted capillary electrophoresis revealed a lower content of R‐IV (DP 15–18, ≈6%) and a higher content of R‐VII (DP 37–45, ≈7%) chains in the CPSR cultivars compared with the CWRS cultivars. Starch in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis showed that compared with CWRS cultivars, the two CPSR cultivars had reduced amounts of readily digestible starch and higher amounts of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch. Consequently, the two CPSR cultivars also showed lower hydrolysis indexes in grain meal as well as extracted starch. CPSR cultivars, with higher starch and amylose concentrations, as well as a higher content of long chains of amylopectin, showed a reduced starch in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis rate.

The impact of elevated CO2 concentration on the quality of algal starch as a potential biofuel feedstock

Cultured microalgae are viewed as important producers of lipids and polysaccharides, both of which are precursor molecules for the production of biofuels. This study addressed the impact of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) on Chlorella sorokiniana production of starch and on several properties of the starch produced. The production of C. sorokiniana biomass, lipid and starch were enhanced when cultures were supplied with 2% CO2. Starch granules from algae grown in ambient air and 2% CO2 were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The granules from algae grown in 2% CO2 were disk-shaped and contained mainly stromal starch; granules from cultures grown in ambient air were cup-shaped with primarily pyrenoid starch. The granules from cells grown in 2% CO2 had a higher proportion of the accumulated starch as the highly branched, amylopectin glucan than did granules from cells grown in air. The rate of hydrolysis of starch from 2% CO2-grown cells was 1.25 times greater than that from air-grown cells and 2-11 times higher than the rates of hydrolysis of starches from cereal grains. These data indicate that culturing C. sorokiniana in elevated CO2 not only increases biomass yield but also improves the structure and composition of starch granules for use in biofuel generation. These modifications in culture conditions increase the hydrolysis efficiency of the starch hydrolysis, thus providing potentially important gains for biofuel production.

Blue Maize: Morphology and Starch Synthase Characterization of Starch Granule

The use of pigmented maize varieties has increased due to their high anthocyanins content, but very few studies are reported about the starch properties of these grains. The aim of this work was to isolate the starch granules from pigmented blue maize and carry out the morphological, physicochemical, and biochemical characterization studies. The proximate composition of starch granules showed high protein contents, after purification, the blue maize starch presented lower protein amount than starch from white maize (control). Although the purity of starch granules was increased, the damaged starch (determined for the Maltase cross absence) was also increased. Scanning electron microscopy showed the presence of some pores and channels in the blue maize starch. The electrophoretic protein profiles showed differences in the bands that correspond to the enzymes involved in the starch biosynthesis; these differences could explain the variation in morphological characteristics of blue maize starches against starch from white maize.

The Effects of Environmental Conditions on the Structural Features and Physico-chemical Properties of Starches

The effects of environmental factors on the structural features and physico-chemical properties of starch (from various botanical sources) have been investigated over many decades. A close study of published data on the effects of environmental factors, especially growth temperature, reveals discrepancies with regard to its effects on the composition and properties of the major components of starch, namely amylose and amylopectin. These discrepancies can in part be explained on the basis of the different experimental protocols used by the various investigators to provide environmental variation although it is clear that environmental factors do influence the deposition and composition of starch granules. However, the effects of environmental conditions on the physical properties of starches are more easily reproduced and are consequently better understood. This review is an up to date survey of current knowledge in this area and draws extensively on the authors' own research.

Variation in Grain Mass, Grain Nitrogen, and Starch B‐Granule Content Within Wheat Heads

ABSTRACTGrain mass (mg) and grain nitrogen concentration (%) were determined in 3,278 individual grains from eight cultivars with reference to the position of the grain on the head (spikelet number and floret number). Selected grains were removed from certain heads at anthesis. Grain nitrogen content (mg) was determined as the product of grain nitrogen concentration and grain mass. Grain mass and starch B‐granule content were determined in 3,030 grains from a further 12 cultivars with reference to grain position, and selected grains were removed from certain heads at anthesis. Grains from distal florets were always smaller and had lower B‐granule contents, nitrogen contents, and nitrogen concentrations than those from the two proximal florets on each spikelet, which were not significantly different from each other. Grains in the basal two spikelets of the head were smaller with lower nitrogen contents and higher B‐granule contents than those in most of the head. Their nitrogen concentration, however, did not differ from that in the rest of the head. All four traits declined in the grains in the top four to five spikelets of the head. The differences in grain mass, nitrogen, and B‐granule content between florets within spikelets and between spikelets within the head varied with cultivar. Grains on treated heads were larger, higher in nitrogen and slightly lower in B‐granule content than those on untreated heads. The effects of floret and spikelet on grain mass and nitrogen were not significantly changed by the treatments. Grains from florets 1 and 2, excluding those from the bottom three and top five spikelets, therefore represented a particularly uniform population for grain mass, protein nitrogen and starch granule composition. Genetic analyses based on samples of these grains will be more robust and repeatable than those based on unselected samples. Implications for improving seedling vigor, plant yield, and grain protein concentration in breeding programs are discussed.

Formation and Deposition of Amylose in the Potato Tuber Starch Granule Are Affected by the Reduction of Granule-Bound Starch Synthase Gene Expression.

The synthesis of amylose in amyloplasts is catalyzed by granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS). GBSS gene expression was inhibited via antisense RNA in Agrobacterium rhizogenes-transformed potato plants. Analysis of starch production and starch granule composition in transgenic tubers revealed that reduction of GBSS activity always resulted in a reduction of the production of amylose. Field experiments, performed over a 2-year period, showed that stable inhibition of GBSS gene expression can be obtained. Microscopic evaluation of iodine-stained starch granules was shown to be a sensitive system for qualitative and quantitative examination of amylose formation in starch granules of transgenic potato tubers. In plants showing inhibition of GBSS gene expression, the reduced amylose content in tuber starch was not a consequence of a lower amylose content throughout the entire starch granule. Starch granules of transgenic tubers were found to contain amylose at a percentage similar to wild-type starch in a core of varying size at the hilum of each granule. This indicated that reduced GBSS gene expression results in amylose formation in a restricted zone of the granules. The size of this zone is suggested to be dependent on the GBSS protein level. During development of the granules, the available GBSS protein is thought to become limiting, resulting in the formation of starch that lacks amylose. RNA gel blot analysis of tuber tissue showed that inhibition of GBSS gene expression resulted in a reduced GBSS mRNA level but did not affect the expression level of other starch synthesizing enzymes. Antisense RNA could only be detected in leaf tissue of the transgenic plants.

The composition of starch granules from developing Barley genotypes

Starch, nitrogen and phosphorus were assayed in samples from isogenic lines — Glacier (normal) CI9676, Glacier (high amylose) Ac 38, Oderbrucker (normal) and Waxy Oderbrucker (low amylose) — which were harvested at intervals from 14 days after anthesis (DAA) to grain maturity. Quantitative determination of the size distribution of the starch granules was carried out using a Coulter counter with 100-channel analyser and the number of A- and B-granules per endosperm calculated. Large and small starch granules were separated by differential sedimentation in water. In each of the four lines there was a different linear relationship between the increasing amylose content and the increasing phosphorus content of the large granules during grain development. Small amounts of amylose were found in the large A-granules of the variety Waxy Oderbrucker, but none was detected in the small B-granules. It was concluded that the data for non-waxy A-granule starches were compatible with a model in which there is a core of low-amylose low-lipid starch. The composition of the starch in the B-granules differed from that in the A-granules throughout development.

Starch properties of various potato (Solanum tuberosum L) Cultivars susceptible and resistant to low‐temperature sweetening

AbstractProperties of starch granules isolated from different varieties and selections of potato (which vary in their degree of chill sweetening) were examined. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed an increase in resistance to gelatinisation of isolated starch granules which correlated (r = 0.911) with higher chip scores following storage at 4°C and 12°C. Varying water level content during DSC studies resulted in significantly lower water content required to produce two endotherms for starch isolated from varieties resistant to chill sweetening. These data strongly suggest that starch granule composition might be a factor differentiating the low temperature sweetening sensitive from resistant cultivars, and may provide a screening method for predicting chip colour of potatoes out of storage.

Low Temperature Sweetening in Susceptible and Resistant Potatoes: Starch Structure and Composition

ABSTRACTStarch isolated from ND 860–2 potatoes, which were resistant to chillsweetening, had higher amylose and lower amylopectin as well as a higher crystallinity as compared to starch isolated from Norchip potatoes, which were susceptible to low temperature sweetening. ND 860–2 starch exhibited greater resistance to α‐amylase attack and amorphous swelling as well as higher gelatinization temperatures and onset swelling temperatures than starch isolated from Norchip. Examination of starch granule structure using bright field light microscopy indicated crystalline concentric rings in ND 860–2 not seen in Norchip. Scanning electron microscopy of granules incubated with a‐amylase indicated more intact ND 860–2 starch granules compared to Norchip. These data strongly suggest that starch granule composition is a factor differentiating the low‐temperature sweetening sensitive cultivar from the resistant potato seedling.