A photographic approach to the possible mechanism of retrogradation of sweet potato starch.
Although the subject of starch retrogradation has been studied for about 20 years, the mechanism of starch retrogradation seems not yet to be completely established. In this paper, the possible retrogradation mechanism of sweet potato starch was postulated from four optical micrographs at the stages of melting of the starch granules, autoclaving treatment and aging. The possible process of retrogradation consists of three stages. Firstly, starch granules was swelled and melted with loss of X-ray crystallinity and formation of both crystalline and amorphous lamellae; secondly, in crystalline lamellae, amylopectin began to form nucleation when they were autoclaved; finally, the nucleus grew up to great rod-like crystals as the result of congregating of amylose on plates which were composed of and prolongated by amylopectin.
The Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Biotechnology, TianJin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, PR China. lianliu2002@163.com
Xijun
X
Lian
Shuyi
S
Zhao
Qinsheng
Q
Liu
Xu
X
Zhang
D003460:Crystallization; D027723:Ipomoea batatas / Q000737:chemistry*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
D013213:Starch