Starch phosphorus content in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars and its effect on other starch properties

The research presented herein provides valuable data with respect to the phosphorus content of starches from many potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars using an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique. In all starches examined, the phosphorus content ranged from 308 to 1244 ppm. Furthermore, the estimation of the starch characteristics of representative samples differing manifestly in their phosphorus content indicated that enhancing the starch phosphate resulted in significant increases in the swelling power, peak viscosity, and breakdown and significant but small increases in the onset and peak temperatures of gelatinization. Other starch quality parameters, such as the amylose content, median granule size, and the gelatinization enthalpy, did not change significantly due to the degree of phosphate substitution of starch.