Amylose and Amylopectin

Gelatinization
➢ Undamaged starch granules are insoluble in cold water, but can imbibe water reversibly;
that is, they can swell slightly, and then return to their original size on drying.
➢ When heated in water, starch granules undergo a process called gelatinization.
➢ Gelatinization is the disruption of molecular order within granules. Evidence for the loss
of order includes irreversible granule swelling and loss of crystallinity.

Retrogradation
• Cooling a hot starch paste generally produces a viscoelastic, firm, rigid gel. As starch
pastes are cooled and stored, the starch becomes progressively less soluble. In dilute
solution, starch molecules will precipitate, with the insoluble material being difficult to
redisolve by heating. The collective processes of dissolved starch becoming less
soluble are called retrogradation.