Formation and structural evolution of starch nanocrystals from waxy maize starch and waxy potato starch

The formation and structural evolution of starch nanocrystals from waxy maize starch (WMS) and waxy potato starch (WPS) by acid hydrolysis were studied. The relative crystallinity, the short-range molecular order, and the double-helix content of WMS and WPS increased significantly during the initial stage of acid hydrolysis, indicating that acid preferentially eroded the amorphous regions of starch granules. With time, there was increased destruction of lamellar structures, causing the granules to completely disintegrate to form nanocrystals. WMS and WPS displayed different hydrolysis mechanisms. WPS was more susceptible to acid hydrolysis than WMS, and WMS exhibited an endo-corrosion pattern and WPS showed an exo-corrosion pattern. WMS nanocrystals had a parallelepiped shape, and WPS nanocrystals were round. This difference in shape is likely due to the different packing configuration of double helices in native starches.