Corn Starch: Quality and Quantity Improvement for Industrial Uses

Corn starch serves as food, feed, and a raw material for industrial use. Starch makes up most of the biomass of the corn hybrid and is the most important and main yield component in corn breeding programs. Starch is composed of two polymers, branched amylopectin and linear amylose, which normally constitute about 75% and 25% of the corn starch, respectively. Breeding for corn starch quality has become economically beneficial because of the development of niche markets for specialty grains. In addition, due to the increased demands of biofuel production, corn ethanol production is receiving more attention. Consequently, improving starch quantity has become one of the most important breeding objectives. This review will summarize the use of corn starch, and the genetics and breeding of grain quality and quantity for industrial applications.

Automated summary

Corn starch is a crucial food, feed, and industrial raw material. It comprises branched amylopectin and linear amylose, with the former accounting for about 75% and the latter for about 25% of corn starch. Breeding for improved starch quantity and quality has become a significant objective due to the development of specialty grain markets and increased demand for biofuel production.