A starch granule is partially crystalline polymer, which is composed of linear polymer, amylose and branched polymer, amylopectin. When the starch granule gelatinizes by heating, its structure changes to amorphous, but gelatinized starch is gradually ...
A starch granule is partially crystalline polymer, which is composed of linear polymer, amylose and branched polymer, amylopectin. When the starch granule gelatinizes by heating, its structure changes to amorphous, but gelatinized starch is gradually crystallized during storage which is called retrogradation. Retrogradation of starch is attributed to the crystallization of amylose and/or amylopectin. The retrograded starch shows B-crystalline type by x-ray diffractometry, regardless of the type of native starch. The degree of retrogra-dation(DR) of amylose is affected by its content, chain length, and lipid content. The DR of amylopectin is affected by its origin and content, outer chain length, lipid content, and cer-tain additives. Since the structure of starch granule and the assay method for the DR is not known clearly, it is hard to identify the role and mechanism of amylose and amylopectin on the retrogradation of starch. Because the retrogradation of starch is the most important aspect for the quality of starchy foods, the mechanism of retrogradation and the method of retarding retrogradation should be comprehend in the near future.