The molecular and supermolecular structure of common cattail (Typha latifolia) starch
2014
Kurzawska, Agata | Górecka, Danuta | Błaszczak, Wioletta | Szwengiel, Artur | Paukszta, Dominik | Lewandowicz, Grażyna
Common cattail (Typha latifolia) is a wetland plant that is widespread all over the world. All of its morphological parts are edible, but the rhizome is the most valuable. Its starch content can be up to 70% of the dry mass; however, its structure and functionality have not yet been described. The aim of this study was to characterise the structure of cattail rhizome starch. The rhizome of common cattail was harvested in the spring from a natural pond. The starch was isolated by grinding and washing away the fibre fraction. Sonication was used to disintegrate the cell walls. The structure of starch granules was studied using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and wide angle X‐ray scattering method (WAXS). The molecular mass distribution of the starch macromolecules was analysed with gel permeation chromatography using triple detection and compared to results of corn and potato starches. The granules of the cattail starch were predominantly round shaped and had a typical Gaussian distribution of size characterised by a mode value of 9 µm. The WAXS investigation proved that the granules had a C type crystal structure, which was a combination of A and B polymorphs contributing 28.3 and 71.7%, respectively. The cattail starch contained 32% amylose. Its molecular mass was significantly higher than potato starch but slightly lower than corn starch. The molecular mass of cattail amylopectin was between corn and potato starch. Its structure was the most branched compared to all the starches investigated.
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