Physicochemical properties and amylopectin structures of large, small, and extremely small potato starch granules

The physicochemical properties and amylopectin structures of large (L), small (S), and extremely small (ES) potato starch granules, which were produced by air-classification in a local factory, were investigated. The content of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium manifestly increased as the granule size decreased. Smaller granule size was associated with lower values of peak viscosity and breakdown and higher values of peak viscosity temperature. The hydrolysis rate of raw starch by glucoamylase became distinctly higher as the granule size decreased. In contrast, the granule size did not have a large influence on the amylose content and DSC gelatinization properties. Amylopectins resembled each other in the distributions of phosphorylated unit-chains (PUCs) as well as total (neutral and phosphorylated) unit-chains.