Comparison of maize and wheat starch chain reactivity in relation to uniform versus surface oriented starch granule derivatization patterns

Hydrothermal treatments of starch impact reaction patterns during subsequent chemical derivatization

Differences in derivatization patterns (using a fluorescent reagent, fluorescein isothiocyanate) of wheat, pea, and potato starches between native granular (NAT) starches and their respective annealed (ANN) and heat-moisture treated (HMT) starches were investigated to reveal structural changes associated with starch hydrothermal treatments. Size-exclusion chromatography with fluorescence and refractive index detection assessed the reactivity of amylose (AM), intermediate chains (IM1 and IM2), and amylopectin branch chains (AP1, AP2, and AP3) within the different starches. Shifts in X-ray diffraction patterns of HMT starches and in the gelatinization properties of both ANN and HMT starches confirmed molecular rearrangement. The reaction homogeneity (wheat and pea) and the overall extent of reaction (pea and potato) increased for HMT starches compared to other starches. The lower reactivities of IM2 chains (HMT starch) and AP3 chains (ANN starch) relative to NAT starches, indicated their involvement in molecular rearrangements and improved double helical order. IM2 and AP branch chains in ANN pea starch also were less reacted than NAT starch chains, suggesting their co-crystallization. Molecular rearrangements in ANN and HMT starches led to altered swelling and pasting viscosities. Thus, changes in the relative crystallinity of individual starch branch chains induced by hydrothermal processing impact the final physical properties.

Reaction pattern differences impact physical properties of starches derivatized to the same extent in a model cross-linking system

This study investigated the physical properties of maize (MS) and wheat (WS) starches derivatized with 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazinyl)aminofluorescein (model cross-linking system) to have the same overall fluorescence intensity on starch molecules, but reacted either more uniformly throughout granules (UD) or more at granule surfaces (SD). Both MS and WS derivatives had lower swelling powers (SP) at 90°C than their respective native starches. The UD derivatives had lower SP (90°C) and greater retrogradation enthalpies than did SD derivatives, consistent with their lower peak and higher setback pasting viscosities. Also, SD starches were less soluble and retained a greater degree of granular integrity than UD starches in time-lapse, hot-stage light microscopy studies (50-95°C), likely due to a greater concentration of cross-links at the granule surface. The results confirm that derivatization patterns impact the physical properties of modified starches. Thus, varying derivatization patterns can be a strategy to tailor modified starch properties.