Quantitative characterization of individual starch grain morphology using a particle flow analyzer

• Published in: Food science & technology Vol. 139; p. 110589
• Main Authors: Aoyagi, Tatsushi, Oshima, Tatsuya, Imaizumi, Teppei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2021
• Subjects: Circularity; Image analysis; Potato starch; Principal component analysis; Starch grains; Image analysis; Circularity; Potato starch; Starch grains; Principal component analysis
• ISSN: 0023-6438; 1096-1127
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2020.110589

A novel method was used to characterize starch morphology in four kinds of starch (wheat, corn, potato, and sweet potato). Individual starch granules contained in starch suspension (at least 2500 particles) were successfully captured for each species using a particle flow analyzer. Captured images were analyzed to quantitate morphological parameters such as circle equivalent (CE) diameter, circularity, intensity mean, and aspect ratio. The median circularity of potato was 0.988, which was higher than that of other plant species (wheat: 0.953, corn: 0.966, sweet potato: 0.943). In this way, the analysis allowed for the characterization of starch using morphological parameters. Correlations between morphological parameters revealed that CE diameter correlated with circularity for potato (R = −0.67) and with intensity mean for wheat (R = 0.64). Furthermore, principal component analysis divided the plant species into two morphological groups: size diverse including potato starch and outline diverse including wheat, corn, and sweet potato. •Starch morphology was quantified using a particle flow analyzer.•High correlation between diameter and circularity was revealed for potato starches.•PCA divided into two groups of starches based on morphology.