AMYLOSE AND LIPID CONTENTS, AMYLOPECTIN STRUCTURE, AND GELATINIZATIONPROPERTIES OF WAXY WHEAT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUM) STARCH

Starch was isolated from the endosperm of three recently developed wax y wheat lines and their parents. Their amylose and lipid contents, amy lopectin structures and gelatinisation properties were evaluated. The endosperm starch from waxy wheat lines is composed essentially of amyl opectin. The apparent amylose (1.2-2.0 g/100 g) and lipid contents (0. 12-0.29 g/100 g) are much lower than the apparent amylose (26.0-28.4 g /100 g) and lipid contents (1.05-1.17 g/100 g) of their non-waxy paren ts. The amylopectin of waxy wheal lines is structurally identical to t hat of the parents. The peak gelatinisation temperature and gelatinisa tion enthalpy for waxy starch are significantly higher than for non-wa xy starch, but the gelatinisation enthalpy for the amylopectin fractio n of waxy starch is nearly identical to that of non-waxy starch. (C) 1 996 Academic Press Limited