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Updated: Jun 4, 2025
Analysis and Specification of Starch Granule Size Distributions
Published on: March 4, 2021
Gem-like starch granules engineered with different crystalline starches.
Ruikang Lin1, Xufeng Zang2, Wenjie Zhang1
1Huzhou Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Science, Huzhou University, Zhejiang, Huzhou 313000, China; School of Food Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China.
Researchers developed a method to create uniform starch crystals by modifying seeds and inducing recrystallization. This process yields gem-like starch granules with tunable crystal structures, useful for food and drug delivery applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biochemistry
- Crystallography
Background:
- Starch retrogradation allows self-assembly into crystals, partially restoring its double helix structure.
- Controlling starch crystal formation is key for developing new materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for growing uniform starch crystals with diverse crystal systems.
- To investigate the structural changes and crystal types formed during starch recrystallization.
Main Methods:
- Enzymatic modification of starch seeds to customize their structure.
- Inducing spontaneous recrystallization of starch under controlled conditions.
- Analysis using optical microscopy, FTIR, and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
Main Results:
- Formation of gem-like starch granules (GSGs) observed in starches with 24.3%-28.1% amylose content.
- FTIR and XRD analysis indicated a shift from A-type to B-type starch crystal structures.
- Successful production of tetragonal and hexagonal crystal systems was demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- Customizing starch seeds and controlling recrystallization enables the growth of uniform starch crystals.
- The transformation to B-type crystals supports the formation of specific crystal systems.
- This technique offers a promising route for creating novel starch-based carriers for food and drug delivery.
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