Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2025

Analysis and Specification of Starch Granule Size Distributions
Published on: March 4, 2021
Revisiting the Evolution of Multi-Scale Structures of Starches with Different Crystalline Structures During Enzymatic
Simin Chen1, Zihui Qiu2, Ying Yang2
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, National Medical Products Administration, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.
Abstract:
Porous starch has been created through hydrolysis by amyloglucosidase and α-amylase. However, little information is known about the precise evolution of multi-scale structures of starch during digestion. In this study, rice starch and potato starch, containing different crystalline structures, were hydrolyzed by amyloglucosidase and α-amylase for 20 and 60 min, respectively, and their resulting structural changes were examined. The digestion process caused significant degradation of the molecular structures of rice and potato starches. In addition, the alterations in the ordered structures varied between the two starches. Rice starch exhibited porous structures, thicker crystalline lamellae as determined by small-angle X-ray scattering, and enhanced thermostability after digestion using differential scanning calorimetry. For rice starch, the extent of crystalline structures was analyzed with an X-ray diffractometer; it was found to first increase after 20 min of digestion and then decrease after 60 min of digestion. In contrast, potato starch did not display porous structures but exhibited thicker crystalline lamellae and a reduction in ordered structures after digestion. These findings suggest that it is possible to intentionally modulate the multi-scale structures of starch by controlling the digestion time, thereby providing valuable insights for the manipulation of starch functionalities.
More Related Videos
05:22Transverse Sectioning of Mature Rice Oryza sativa L. Kernels for Scanning Electron Microscopy Imaging Using Pipette Tips as Immobilization Support
Published on: January 25, 2022
06:13Determination of Glucan Chain Length Distribution of Glycogen Using the Fluorophore-Assisted Carbohydrate Electrophoresis FACE Method
Published on: March 31, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Carbohydrate Digestion
Introduction to Carbohydrates
Mechanical and Chemical Digestion in the Small Intestine
Mechanical digestion in the small intestine involves movements such as segmentations and migrating motility complexes (MMCs), primarily controlled by the myenteric plexus. Segmentations are localized contractions occurring in areas of the intestine distended by chyme—a mixture of partially digested food. These contractions mix chyme with digestive juices, facilitating...
Carbohydrate Absorption
After being swallowed, the partially digested carbohydrates mix with gastric secretions in the stomach. However, the acidic environment...
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...