Characteristics of starch from eight quinoa lines

Abstract

Starches ranging in amylose content from 3 to 20% from eight quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) lines were characterized with respect to thermal, retrogradation, and pasting properties; swelling and solubility behavior; freeze-thaw stability; water-binding capacity; shear stability; and granule size and morphology. The starches differed in gelatinization onset temperatures, peak temperatures, and retrogradation tendencies; these characteristics were positively correlated with amylose content. No variation in gelatinization enthalpy was observed. With the exception of pasting temperature, large variations in pasting characteristics were found among starches and were correlated with amylose content. Swelling, solubility, freeze-thaw stability, and water-binding capacity also differed among starches and were correlated with amylose content. Granule morphology and size were similar for all starches. The wide variation in amylose content and physicochemical characteristics of quinoa starches suggests applications in a variety of food and nonfood products. © 2005 American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc.