Waxy Starch Research Articles

Localization and dynamics of amylose-lipophilic molecules inclusion complex formation in starch granules.

Inclusion complex formation between lipophilic dye molecules and amylose polymers in starch granules is investigated using laser spectroscopy and microscopy. By combining confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) with spatial resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, we are able to discriminate the presence of amylose in the peripheral region of regular and waxy granules from potato and corn starch, associating a clear optical fingerprint with the interaction between starch granules and lipophilic dye molecules. We show in particular that in the case of regular starch the polar head of the lipophilic dye molecules remains outside the amylose helix experiencing a water-based environment. The measurements performed on samples that have been extensively washed provide a strong proof of the specific interaction between lipid dye molecules and amylose chains in regular starch. These measurements also confirm the tendency of longer amylopectin chains, located in the hilum of waxy starch granules, to form inclusion complexes with ligands. Through real-time recording of CLSM micrographs, within a time frame of tens of seconds, we measured the dynamics of occurrence of the inclusion process between lipids and amylose located at the periphery of starch granules.

Effect of waxy flour blends on dough rheology and bread quality

Summary Although much research has been conducted on wheat flour dough rheology, the principal focus has been the role of the protein fraction. Starch is the main component of flour and plays a key role in dough dynamic properties, particularly during heating. This study assesses the effect of two different waxy flours, a durum and a bread wheat, and their blends with commercial bakers' flour on dough rheology during heating with a concurrent investigation into baking performance. Both waxy flour blends produced similar effects on dough rheological behaviour despite differences in protein content, acting to delay gelatinisation and reduce storage modulus. The main effects in bread were to increase loaf expansion during baking and reduce loaf firmness. It is postulated these effects are largely water mediated, with the higher swelling ability of the waxy starch granules reducing overall water availability and driving complete gelatinisation to higher temperatures.

Preparation of linear maltodextrins using a hyperthermophilic amylopullulanase with cyclodextrin- and starch-hydrolysing activities

A novel method for the preparation of linear maltodextrins from cyclodextrins and starch was proposed. To accomplish this process, an amylopullulanase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Caldivirga maquilingensis (CMApu) was characterized and used. CMApu with an estimated molecular mass of 62.7 kDa by SDS-PAGE had a maximal pullulan-hydrolysing activity at 100°C and pH 5.0. It could also hydrolyse amylopectin (AP), starch, β-CD and amylose (AM), in a decreasing order of relative activities from 88.96% to 57.17%. TLC and HPAEC analysis revealed that CMApu catalyzed the debranching and degrading reactions to produce linear malto-oligosaccharides (≤ G8-G1) from G8-β-CD and/or normal CDs, amylodextrins (DP6-96) from AM, and amylodextrins (DP1-76) from AP and potato starch. Our results showed that CMApu had a great potential for the industrial preparation of linear maltodextrins from normal starch instead of waxy starch, malto-oligosaccharides or sucrose. And the high optimal temperature of CMApu facilitated the simultaneous gelatinization and hydrolysis of cereal starch.

Impact of amylose content on starch physicochemical properties in transgenic sweet potato

The intrinsic relationship between amylose content and starch physicochemical properties was studied using six representative starch samples (amylose content 0–65%) produced from transgenic sweet potato (cultivar Xushu22). The transgenic lines (waxy and high-amylose) and wild-type (WT) sweet potatoes were analyzed for amylose content, particle size and chain length distribution, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermal characteristics, pasting and rheological property. Compared to the WT starch, the waxy and high-amylose starches showed larger average granule sizes and had fewer short chains and more medium and long chains. X-ray diffractogram analysis revealed that high-amylose starches show a type-B crystal form with a markedly decreased degree of crystallinity in contrast to the type-A crystal form of the WT and waxy starches. In the high-amylose sweet potato starches, the rise of setback value and the reduction of breakdown value led to the high shear resistance as indicated by the higher G′, G″, and tanδ from the oscillation test. ΔH was not found to be decreased with the reduction of crystallinity. The shear stress resistance of starch gel after gelatinization was also enhanced as amylose content increased. Principal component analysis also confirmed that the amylose content greatly influenced the starch structure and properties, e.g., storage modulus, setback value, and average chain length. Thus, our study not only shed light on how amylose content affects starch properties but also identified novel starches that are available for various applications.

Registration of ‘Plateau’ Waxy (Amylose-Free) Proso Millet

‘Plateau’ (Reg. No. CV-272, PI 672536), a waxy (amylose-free starch) proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) cultivar, was developed by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station. In addition, faculty and staff from University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, and USDA–ARS, Lincoln, NE, and Akron, CO, assisted in trials and laboratory evaluations. Plateau, tested as 172-2-9, was selected from F4 progeny of a cross, made in 1999, between ‘Huntsman’ (NE79012/NE79017/3/‘Cope’//‘Dawn’/‘Common’) and PI 436626, a Chinese waxy accession. Waxy starch was the most important selection criteria during early generations, and yield was the predominant factor in selection during variety trials. Variety testing data were analyzed using PROC GLM. Mean grain yield of Plateau (1953 kg ha−1) was consistently similar to the female parent, Huntsman, the locally adapted high-yielding cultivar, and higher (30–90% higher yield) than PI 436626 (1020 kg ha−1), the donor parent of the waxy trait. This line was primarily released for its waxy starch grain and its adequate yield, which was similar to the high-yielding locally adapted proso millet cultivars.

Fouling characteristics of model carbohydrate mixtures and their interaction effects

Fouling resistances of carbohydrate mixtures were measured using an annular probe at bulk fluid temperature of 75°C and initial probe surface temperature of 120°C. Induction period, maximum fouling resistance and mean fouling rates were determined. Two experiments were performed with two varieties of starch (waxy and high amylose) and short chain carbohydrates, corn syrup solids and glucose. Interaction effects of glucose with starch varieties were studied. In the first experiment, short chain carbohydrates individual and interaction effects with starch were studied. Glucose and corn syrup solids showed no fouling, whereas starch, a long glucose polymer, showed marked fouling. Corn syrup solids and glucose mixed with pure starch decreased the mean fouling rates and maximum fouling resistances. Between corn syrup solids and glucose, starch fouling rates were reduced with addition of glucose. Induction periods of pure mixtures of either glucose or corn syrup solids were longer than the test period (5h). Pure starch mixture had no induction period. Maximum fouling resistance was higher for mixtures with higher concentration of longer polymers. Waxy starch had a longer induction period than high amylose starch. Maximum fouling resistance was higher for waxy than high amylose starch. Addition of glucose to waxy or high amylose starch increased induction period of mixtures longer than 5h test period.

Starch and cellulose nanocrystals together into thermoplastic starch bionanocomposites

In the present work, thermoplastic maize starch based bionanocomposites were prepared as transparent films, plasticized with 35% of glycerol and reinforced with both waxy starch (WSNC) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), previously extracted by acidic hydrolysis. The influence of the nanofiller content was evaluated at 1wt.%, 2.5wt.% and 5wt.% of WSNC. The effect of adding the two different nanoparticles at 1wt.% was also investigated. As determined by tensile measurements, mechanical properties were improved at any composition of WSNC. Water vapour permeance values maintained constant, whereas barrier properties to oxygen reduced in a 70%, indicating the effectiveness of hydrogen bonding at the interphase. The use of CNC or CNC and WSNC upgraded mechanical results, but no significant differences in barrier properties were obtained. A homogeneous distribution of the nanofillers was demonstrated by atomic force microscopy, and a shift of the two relaxation peaks to higher temperatures was detected by dynamic mechanical analysis.

Characterisation of spray dried soy sauce powders made by adding crystalline carbohydrates to drying carrier

This study aimed to reduce stickiness and caking of spray dried soy sauce powders by introducing a new crystalline structure into powder particles. To perform this task, soy sauce powders were formulated by using mixtures of cellulose and maltodextrin or mixtures of waxy starch and maltodextrin as drying carriers, with a fixed carrier addition rate of 30% (w/v) in the feed solution. The microstructure, crystallinity, solubility as well as stickiness and caking strength of all the different powders were analysed and compared. Incorporating crystalline carbohydrates in the drying carrier could significantly reduce the stickiness and caking strength of the powders when the ratio of crystalline carbohydrates to maltodextrin was above 1:5 and 1:2, respectively. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results showed that adding cellulose or waxy starch could induce the crystallinity of powders. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrated that the native starch added to the soy sauce powders did not fully gelatinize during spray drying.

Measurement of Blend Concentrations of Conventional and Waxy Hard Wheats Using NIR Spectroscopy

ABSTRACTBreeding development of waxy (amylose‐free) hard wheat lines adapted to the North American climate has been underway for more than a decade, with releases of competitive varieties imminent. Because of required identity preservation and a possible premium value placed on waxy lots, a rapid and accurate method is desired to identify and quantify the mixing of conventional wheat with waxy wheat, a condition that might occur at harvest or any point downstream. Our previous work demonstrated that lines pure with waxy starch can be identified from nonwaxy lines by use of near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy applied either on a whole kernel or ground meal basis. However, mixture quantification by NIR techniques has not been examined until now. Using hard winter wheat grown in two seasons (2011 and 2012) and at two locations (Nebraska and Arizona), a series of mixtures ranging in proportion (conventional/waxy) percentage by weight, from 0:100 to 100:0, were formed from nine pairs of waxy and nonwaxy varieties or lines, with year and location being consistent within a pair. Twenty‐nine mixtures (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, …, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, and 100%) were formed for each pair. Partial least squares regression models were developed by using eight of the nine pairs, with model validation accomplished by using the pair excluded. This procedure was repeated for each pair. The results indicate that, regardless of sample format or spectral pretreatment, the optimal models typically produce coefficients of determination in excess of 0.98, with standard errors of 4–7%, thus demonstrating the feasibility of the use of the NIR technique to predict the mixture level to within 10% by weight.

Causal relations between structural features of amylopectin, a semicrystalline hyperbranched polymer.

The relationships were determined between molecular properties of amylopectin, a hyperbranched glucose polymer and the major component of starch, and higher-level structures in native starch (double helices, crystallinity and crystalline-amorphous lamellae). Parameters from NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and size exclusion chromatography of β-limit dextrins of a series of waxy starches, together with literature data, gave information on relationships between the structure of the interior of the amylopectin molecule and crystallinity. The structure of internal B chains (those with one or more branches) of amylopectin influences both crystalline properties and crystallinity. More B chains produce larger crystalline-amorphous lamellae, probably by expanding the amorphous lamellae, while larger B chains increase the ability of annealing to increase order through greater mobility for the chains to rearrange at higher temperatures. This study brings into question the common assumption that A chains (unbranched chains) are necessarily smaller than B chains.

Inducing PLA/starch compatibility through butyl-etherification of waxy and high amylose starch

In this study, waxy and high amylose starches were modified through butyl-etherification to facilitate compatibility with polylactide (PLA). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and wettability tests showed that hydrophobic butyl-etherified waxy and high amylose starches were obtained with degree of substitution values of 2.0 and 2.1, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated improved PLA/starch compatibility for both waxy and high amylose starch after butyl-etherification. The PLA/butyl-etherified waxy and high amylose starch composite films had higher tensile strength and elongation at break compared to PLA/non-butyl-etherified composite films. The morphological study using SEM showed that PLA/butyl-etherified waxy starch composites had a more homogenous microstructure compared to PLA/butyl-etherified high amylose starch composites. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that PLA/starch composite thermal stability decreased with starch butyl-etherification for both waxy and high amylose starches. This study mainly demonstrates that PLA/starch compatibility can be improved through starch butyl-etherification.

Aggregate and emulsion properties of enzymatically-modified octenylsuccinylated waxy starches

Sorghum and maize waxy starches were hydrophobically modified with octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA) and treated with enzymes before being used to emulsify β-carotene (beta,beta-carotene) and oil in water. Enzyme treatment with β-amylase resulted in emulsions that were broken (separated) earlier and suffered increased degradation of β-carotene, whereas treatment with pullulanase had little effect on emulsions. Combinations of surfactants with high and low hydrodynamic volume (Vh) indicated that there is a relationship between Vh and emulsion stability. Degree of branching (DB) had little direct influence on emulsions, though surfactants with the highest DB were poor emulsifiers due to their reduced molecular size. Results indicate that Vh and branch length (including linear components) are the primary influences on octenylsuccinylated starches forming stable emulsions, due to the increased steric hindrance from short amphiphilic branches, consistent with current understanding of electrosteric stabilization. The success of OSA-modified sorghum starch points to possible new products of interest in arid climates.

Significance of Starch Properties and Quantity on Sponge Cake Volume

ABSTRACTWe evaluated the qualitative and quantitative effects of wheat starch on sponge cake (SC) baking quality. Twenty wheat flours, including soft white and club wheat of normal, partial waxy, and waxy endosperm, as well as hard wheat, were tested for amylose content, pasting properties, and SC baking quality. Starches isolated from wheat flours of normal, single‐null partial waxy, double‐null partial waxy, and waxy endosperm were also tested for pasting properties and baked into SC. Double‐null partial waxy and waxy wheat flours produced SC with volume of 828–895 mL, whereas volume of SC baked from normal and single‐null partial waxy wheat flours ranged from 1,093 to 1,335 mL. The amylose content of soft white and club wheat flour was positively related to the volume of SC (r = 0.790, P < 0.001). Pasting temperature, peak viscosity, final viscosity, breakdown, and setback also showed significant relationships with SC volume. Normal and waxy starch blends having amylose contents of 25, 20, 15, and 10% produced SCs with volume of 1,570, 1,435, 1,385, and 1,185 mL, respectively. At least 70 g of starch or at least 75% starch in 100 g of starch–gluten blend in replacement of 100 g of wheat flour in the SC baking formula was needed to produce SC having the maximum volume potential. Starch properties including amylose content and pasting properties as well as proportion of starch evidently play significant roles in SC baking quality of wheat flour.

Slow glucose release property of enzyme-synthesized highly branched maltodextrins differs among starch sources

Seven types of starch (waxy corn, normal corn, waxy rice, normal rice, waxy potato, normal potato, and tapioca) were selected to produce slowly digestible maltodextrins by enzymatic modification using a previously developed procedure. Branching enzyme (BE) alone and in combination with β-amylase (BA) were used to increase the amount of α-1,6 branching points, which are slowly hydrolyzed by mucosal α-glucosidases in the small intestine. The enzymatic treatments of all starches resulted in a reduction of the debranched linear chain length distribution and weight-average molecular weight. After α-amylolysis of the enzymatically synthesized-maltodextrins, the proportion of branched α-limit dextrins increased, and consequently a reduction in rate of glucose release by rat intestinal α-glucosidases in vitro. Among the samples, enzyme-modified waxy starches had a more pronounced effect on an increase in the slow digestion property than normal starches. These enzyme-modified maltodextrins show potential as novel functional foods by slowing digestion rate to attain extended glucose release.

Preparation, structure, and digestibility of crystalline A- and B-type aggregates from debranched waxy starches

Highly crystalline A- and B-type aggregates were prepared from short linear α-1,4 glucans generated from completely debranched waxy maize and waxy potato starches by manipulating the chain length and crystallization conditions including starch solids concentration and crystallization temperature. The A-type crystalline products were more resistant to enzyme digestion than the B-type crystalline products, and the digestibility of the A- and B-type allomorphs was not correlated with the size of the aggregates formed. Annealing increased the peak melting temperature of the B-type crystallites, making it similar to that of the A-type crystallites, but did not improve the enzyme resistance of the B-type crystalline products. The possible reason for these results was due to the compact morphology as well as the denser packing pattern of double helices in A-type crystallites. Our observations counter the fact that most B-type native starches are more enzyme-resistant than A-type native starches. Crystalline type per se does not seem to be the key factor that controls the digestibility of native starch granules; the resistance of native starches with a B-type X-ray diffraction pattern is probably attributed to the other structural features in starch granules.

Bio-based coatings as potential barriers to chemical contaminants from recycled paper and board for food packaging

Partition and diffusion experiments were carried out with paper and board samples coated with different biopolymers. The aim was to evaluate the physicochemical behaviour and barrier properties of bio-coatings against migration of typical contaminants from recycled paper packaging. Focus was directed towards water-based, renewable biopolymers, such as modified starches (cationic starch and cationic waxy starch), plant and animal proteins (gluten and gelatine), poured onto paper with an automatic applicator. Additionally, a comparison with polyethylene-laminated paper was performed. Microstructural observations of the bio-coated paper allowed the characterisation of samples. From the partitioning studies, considerable differences in the adsorption behaviour of the selected contaminants between bio-coated or uncoated paper and air were highlighted. For both the polar and non-polar compounds considered (benzophenone and diisobutyl phthalate, respectively), the lowest values of partition coefficients were found when paper was bio-coated, making it evident that biopolymers acted as chemical/physical barriers towards these contaminants. These findings are discussed considering the characteristics of the tested biopolymers. Diffusion studies into the solid food simulant poly 2,6-diphenyl-p-phenylene oxide, also known as Tenax®, confirmed that all the tested biopolymers slowed down migration. The Weibull kinetic model was fitted to the experimental data to compare migration from paper and bio-coated paper. Values found for β, an index determining the pattern of curvature, ranged from 1.1 to 1.7 for uncoated and polyethylene paper, whereas for bio-coated papers they ranged from 2.2 to 4.9, corresponding to the presence of an evident lag phase due to barrier properties of the tested bio-coatings.

Branched limit dextrin impact on wheat and waxy starch gels retrogradation

The effect of branched limited dextrin (BLD) on starch retrogradation was investigated to explain the anti-firming mechanism of α-amylase. The influence of BLD on the gelatinized wheat and waxy rice starch retrogradation was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD). DSC and WXRD results showed that retrogradation of wheat and waxy rice starch gels were reduced with the addition of branched limit dextrins (F75 and F88). Avrami equation was used to analyze the enthalpies of retrograde wheat starch gels, and the value of k indicated that F75 and F88 reduced the kinetics of starch retrogradation. In addition, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was adapted to predict the interaction of BLD and starch fraction, and the results showed that the BLD reduced starch retrogradation by the interplay between starch and BLD.

Gums tuning the rheological properties of modified maize starch pastes: Differences between guar and xanthan

The experimental setup aimed at gaining a more fundamental knowledge on the effects of two frequently used food gums, guar and xanthan, on the rheological properties of modified waxy starch systems. With regard to starch/non-starch hydrocolloid combinations, chemically modified starches receive much less attention than their native counterparts, despite their commercial and scientific value. The use of cross-linked waxy starches allows to treat the combined systems as dispersions of undisrupted, swollen granules, surrounded by the gum solution. This hypothesis was verified by using confocal scanning laser microscopy with fluorescently labeled gums. The average swollen granule sizes were derived by laser light scattering, and the corresponding total volume fraction occupied by the swollen starch (Φ) was calculated. The specific effects of the gums appeared to strongly depend on the starch content. Both gums, which were effectively increased in concentration due to the starch swelling, dominated the dynamic rheological properties and flow behavior at low Φ. At higher Φ, granule interactions governed the rheological properties. Whereas both gums could weaken the granule network, they contributed to the elastic behavior by their own entanglements. Moreover, xanthan gum appeared capable of reducing the granule interactions within flow, which results in lower viscosities at high starch volume fractions and high shear rates.

Registration of ‘Mattern’ Waxy (Amylose-free) Winter Wheat

‘Mattern’ (Reg. No. CV-1092, PI 665947) hard winter waxy wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed cooperatively by the USDA–ARS and the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 2012. Mattern has red grain color and waxy (amylose-free) endosperm starch. It was released primarily for its unique end-use quality attributes and for grain yield competitive with currently grown Nebraska-adapted cultivars. The waxy starch is conditioned by the presence of three naturally occurring mutations that eliminate production of the enzyme granule-bound starch synthase. Granule-bound starch synthase synthesizes amylose in typical wheats and other cereal crops. Mattern was tested experimentally as NX04Y2107 and was selected from the cross NW98S061/99Y1442.

Extraction and Characterization of Starch Fractions of Five Phenotypes <i>Pachyrhizus tuberosus</i> (Lam.) Spreng

Pachyrhizus tuberosus is a native plant of short life cycle found in South America riverside, which provides easy starch extraction from its tuberous roots. The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical, rheological and functionality of the starch granules extracted from the roots of five phenotypes identified as V2, V3, V4, V6 and V7. Protein and ash content of all phenotypes were considerable high when compared to other root sources such as cassava varying from 4.35% to 7.43% and 1.58% to 2.49%, respectively, whereas lipid content was lower, between 0.29 and 0.49%. The starch granules were mostly circular and polygonal with varied sizes. The starch granules structural conformation showed cristallinity A type, normally for cereals. The maximum pasting viscosity at 95℃ ranged from 1644 cP (V7) to 2232 cP (V2). The initial temperature of pasting formation occurred at 69.4℃ for V2, 71.5℃ for V3, 87.9℃ for V4, 69.5℃ for V6 and 71.5℃ for V7. These values showed high variability within the phenotypes and generally high for roots and tubers starches. The maximum viscosity at 95℃ for V2, V3, V4, V6 and V7 were 2232, 2150, 1995, 2214 and 1644 cP, respectively. The viscosity curves showed low tendency to retrogradation. The thermal properties showed that the enthalpy of gelatinization varied from 8.91 J/g (V3) to 11.78 J/g (V2). The initial gelatinization temperature varied from 63.19℃ (V6) to 65.14℃ (V4). The swelling power at 90℃ ranged from 14.7% to 20.1% p/p and solubility from 10.3% (V2) to 27.2% (V7). It is concluded that Pachyrhizus tuberosus starch showed low retrogradation (1320 - 1560 cP) comparable to non-common native waxy starches, a feature which indicates the capability of using this natural and easy extraction starch source as gelling agent in certain manufactured food of undesirable retrogradation.