Heterogeneity of starch granules and the effect of granule channelization on starch modification

This paper reviews the discovery of channels in starch granules and progress of research on their effects on granule modification and digestibility, their nature, hypotheses on how they are formed and why they are present, and genetic control of their occurrence. Emphasized is the relationship of channels to starch derivatization. Channelization is presented as additional evidence of the heterogenous nature of starch granules from source to source and within a single source. A new method of determining the location of anionic entities within starch granules that utilizes reflectance confocal laser scanning microscopy is described.