Amylopectin fine structure and rice starch paste breakdown

Ten rice starches with a fairly narrow range of amylose content, but wide variation in RVA pasting curves, were selected to study a possible relationship between amylopectin fine structure and RVA paste viscosity parameters. Amylopectin fine structure was found to significantly correlate with paste breakdown. Proportion of long chains of amylopectin (FrI) was negatively correlated (r=0.84, p<0.01) and proportion of short chains of amylopectin (FrIII) was positive correlated (r=0.89, p<0.001) with paste breakdown, The findings imply that amylopectin fine structure relates to the extent of breakdown of swollen granules and the viscosity after gelatinised starch granule structure is disrupted. The results suggest the possibility that lines can be selected with high proportion of amylopectin long chains for reduced paste breakdown. (C) 2001 Academic Press.