Physicochemical Characteristics of Starches of Two Sets of Near‐isogenic Wheat Lines with Different Amylose Content

Wheat lines with modified amylose content were produced by controlling the null alleles of three homoeologous Wx loci, Wx‐A1, Wx‐B1 and Wx‐D1 and those with triple‐null Wx alleles were found to yield waxy, amylose‐free starch. In this study, the new near‐isogenic lines developed by the recurrent backcross method between cv. Kanto 107 and the waxy mutant lines, K107Wx1 or K107Wx2, were cultivated and the physicochemical characteristics of their starches were investigated. The apparent amylose contents of the waxy near‐isogenic lines were 1.6 – 3.8%, whereas those of the non‐waxy near‐isogenic lines were 23.2 – 25.4%. The waxy lines had higher gelatinization temperature and enthalpy than the non‐waxy lines and no peak of amylose‐lipid complex as determined by DSC. The X‐ray diffraction patterns from both waxy and non‐waxy near‐isogenic lines corresponded to A‐type crystallization, like their parent lines. The starches isolated from the waxy lines had lower pasting onset and peak temperatures, higher peak viscosities and breakdown and lower final viscosity than those of the non‐waxy lines in the Viscoamylograph. The starch of non‐waxy near‐isogenic lines had lower peak and final viscosities and higher breakdown than did the recurrent parent line, cv. Kanto 107. The characteristics of the new wheat starches were well understood and classified, which will contribute to the wide application of these starches in food processing.     

Effects of the Barley amo1 and wax Genes on Starch Structure and Physicochemical Properties

Starch structural mutants showing abnormal endosperm characteristics have been used for investigating the effects of the mutation on structure and physicochemical properties of starches. Inbred lines of barley cultivars ‘Shikoku Hadaka 97’ and ‘Glacier AC38’ were used to investigate the impact of amo1 and waxy genes on starch properties. The amo1 type starch had high apparent amylose content and low starch content. The amo1+waxy type starch contained very little amylose. The content of long chains of amylopectin as detected with high‐performance size‐exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) was decreased, and that of amylopectin chains with the degree of polymerization (DP) of 12‐36 was increased in amo1 and amo1+waxy type starches. The amo1 and amo1+waxy type starches exhibited high gelatinization temperatures and low gelatinization enthalpies.     

Characterization of Physical Properties of Flour and Starch Obtained from Gamma‐Irradiated White Rice

Physical and structural characteristics of rice flour and starch obtained from gamma‐irradiated white rice were determined. Pasting viscosities of the rice flour and starch, analyzed by using a Rapid Visco Analyser, decreased continuously with the increase in irradiation dosage. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that gelatinization onset, peak and conclusion temperatures of rice flour and starch changed slightly but the enthalpy change decreased significantly with increase of irradiation dosage. All irradiated starch displayed an A‐type X‐ray diffraction pattern like the native starch. Gel permeation chromatography showed that the blue value ratio of the first peak (amylopectin) to the second one (amylose) decreased with the increase of the irradiation dosage. The weight‐average molecular weight (M_w) and gyration radius (R_z) of amylopectin analyzed by using HPSEC‐MALLS‐RI (high‐performance size‐exclusion chromatography equipped with multiangle laser‐light scattering and refractive index detector) decreased gradually from 1.48×10⁹ (M_w) and 384.1 nm (R_z) of native rice starch to 2.36×10⁸ (M_w) and 236.8 nm of 9 kGy‐irradiated starch. The branch chain‐length distribution of amylopectins determined by HPAEC‐ENZ‐PAD (high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography with amyloglucosidase post‐column on‐line reactor and pulsed amperometric detector) showed that gamma irradiation had no significant effect on the amylopectin branch chains with 13≤DP≤24 and 37≤DP, but produced more branch chains with 6≤DP≤12 when the irradiation dosage was less than 9 kGy. It might be deduced that gamma irradiation caused the breakage of the amylopectin chains at the amorphous regions, but had little effects on the crystalline regions of starch granules, especially at low dosage irradiation.     

Amylose and β‐Glucan Content of New Waxy Barleys

Starch was isolated from four new waxy barleys and compared with normal and high‐amylose barley starch. The waxy barley samples were selected lines from crosses of Swedish hulled and naked barley cultivars with the cultivar Azhul as donor of the waxy gene. The starches from the waxy barley samples were found to contain 0.7–2.6% amylose when determined iodimetrically by amperometric titration and 0.0–0.9% when determined by size exclusion chromatography after debranching. However, Sepharose CL‐2B elution profiles of the starches detected by iodine staining showed that all four waxy samples were free from detectable amounts of amylose. The amylopectin starches were found to contain a small polysaccharide fraction with molecular size smaller than amylopectin, with an iodine staining λ_max range of 550–600 nm. The water extractable and acid extractable β‐glucan contents in the waxy barley cultivars were generally found to be higher than those in normal barley.     

Molecular Fractionation of Starch in Nycodenz‐Dimethyl Sulfoxide by Density‐Gradient Ultracentrifugation

Starches from various origins (normal corn, waxy corn, high‐amylose corn, normal rice, waxy rice, potato and tapioca) were fractionated by density‐gradient ultracentrifugation at 124,000×g, using a gradient of Nycodenz (0–40%, w/w) in 90% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The fractions of different densities were collected from a centrifuge tube, and then analyzed by the phenol‐sulfuric acid method and iodine‐binding test. Amylose and amylopectin were clearly separated by the density‐gradient centrifugation within 6 h of centrifugation in the total carbohydrate vs. density profile. The amylose content in the starches, measured from the centrifugation for 6 h, agreed with the values reported in the literature, and the content of intermediate fraction (5–13%) was also measured. Amylopectin quickly reached a density region (1.22–1.23 g/mL) with a sharp and stable peak, whereas amylose showed a band in a broad density range, moving toward higher density as the centrifugation continued. The buoyant density of amylose became similar to that of amylopectin after extensive centrifugation. Because the sedimentation rate of amylose was much lower than that of amylopectin, both starch chains are effectively fractionated in the gradient medium, and the iodine‐binding property of the fractionated starches provides valuable information on the chain conformation of starch.     

The Effect of Environmental Temperature on Distribution of Unit Chains of Rice Amylopectin

The effects of environmental temperature during the early development of seeds on the structural characteristics of the endosperm starch were investigated using near‐isogenic lines of rice plants (Taichung 65, waxy), grown under temperature controlled conditions. High performance gel permeation chromatography (HPLC) demonstrated that Pseudomonas isoamylase‐debranched amylopectins of rice plants grown at lower temperature (25°C) contain increased amounts of short chains and decreased amounts of long chains as compared with amylopectins obtained from rice plants grown at higher temperature (30°C). By high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC‐PAD) of isoamylase‐debranched amylopectins it was detected that the amount of unit chains with degree of polymerization (DP) 6 and 11‐13, in the amylopectin of rice plants grown at lower temperature (25°C) had significantly increased and the amount of unit chains with DP 8, 22‐24 and 29 had significantly decreased, as compared with the amylopectin of rice plants grown at higher temperature (30°C). It was confirmed that the environmental temperature between 5 and 10 d after pollination strongly influenced the structure characteristics of the endosperm starch of rice plants.     

Chain Length Distribution of Amylopectins of Double- and Triple-Mutants Containing the Waxy Gene in the Inbred Oh43 Maize Background

Starch granules were isolated from mature kernels of double- and triple-mutant combinations of the waxy (wx) gene with other starchmodifying genes in the inbred Oh43 maize background. The amylose content and the distribution of unit chain-length of amylopectin were determined by enzymatic-chromatographic methods. Starches of the mutants containing the wx gene comprised 100% amylopectin. Amylopectin of the amylose-extender;waxy (ae wx) mutant had an increased proportion of long B chains and decreased proportion of short B chains, compared with wx amylopectin, whereas amylopectin of the dull;waxy (du wx) mutant had a decreased proportion of long B chains and an increased proportion of short B chains. Therefore, the ae wx and du wx mutants amylopectins were novel. The A:B chain ratios for amylopectins examined, namely for ae wx, amylose-extender;waxy;floury-2 (ae wx fl₂), amylose-extender;waxy;sugary-1 (ae wx su₁), amylose-extender;waxy;sugary-2 (ae wx su₂), brittle-1;waxy (bt₁wx). dull;waxy (du wx), and sugary-2;waxy (su₂wx) amylopectins, were in a range of 1.1 to 1.4 and similar to the wx amylopectin. Thus, starches of double-mutant combinations of the wx gene with other starch-modifying genes are good sources for elucidating the fine structure of amylopectin, in regards to long- and short-B chains, which is affected by a single recessive gene coupled with the wx gene.     

Effect of Amylopectin Structure on the Gelatinization and Pasting Properties of Selected Yam (Dioscorea spp.) Starches

This study was aimed at elucidating the decisive structural parameters of amylopectin which govern the gelatinization or pasting behavior of yam starch dispersions, exemplified with four selected yam starches from Dioscorea alata and D. batatas with very similar amylose contents (32.2–34.6%). The results indicated that the yam amylopectins examined showed an average degree of polymerization (DP) of 3469–4474 anhydroglucose units (AGU), average chain length (CL) of 18.8–28.5 AGU, average exterior CL (ECL) of 11.8–16.4 AGU, average interior CL (ICL) of 6.0–11.1 AGU, and a noticeable proportion of extralong (> 100 AGU) and long (40–100 AGU) chains that gave the chain ratio r_(el+l)/s (the weight ratio of extralong and long chains to short chains) of 0.88–1.40. Generally, the yam amylopectin with a lower DP and NC possessed a greater CL, ECL, ICL, and r_(el+l)/s, associating with a higher blue value (BV) and maximal wavelength (λ_max) for their complexes with iodine. D. alata amylopectins exhibited a lower DP, longer chain lengths and greater r_(el+l)/s than the D. batata amylopectins. Statistically, r_(el+l)/s was decisive for the BV and λ_max; while CL and phosphate content were crucial for the gelatinization peak temperature and pasting viscosities of the yam starches examined. The role of swelling power or the volume fraction of dispersed remnants instead in governing the pasting viscosity was also mathematically explored.     

Amylopectin structure of heat–moisture treated starches

The effects of heat–moisture treatment (HMT; moisture content of 25%, at 100°C for 24 h) on starch chain distribution and unit chain distribution of amylopectin in normal rice, waxy rice, normal corn, waxy corn, normal potato, and waxy potato starches were investigated. After HMT, starch chain distribution (amylose and amylopectin responses) of waxy corn and potato starches were identical to those of untreated starches, whereas the chromatographic response of waxy rice starch showed a slight decrease, but with a slight increase in peak tailing. This result indicated that HMT had no (or very limited) effect on the degradation of amylopectins. Analysis of unit chain distribution of amylopectins revealed that waxy characteristics affected the molecular structure of amylopectin in untreated starches, i.e., the CL of normal‐type starches was greater than that of waxy‐type starches. After HMT, the CL and unit chain distribution of all starches were no different than those of untreated starches. The results implied that changes in the physico‐chemical properties of HMT starches would be due to other phenomena rather than the degradation of amylopectin molecular structure. However, the thermal degradation of amylopectin molecules of waxy starches could occur by HMT at higher treatment temperatures (120 and 140°C).     

Starch Biosynthesis. II. The Statistical Model for Amylopectin and Its Precursor Plant Glycogen

A modified Meyer model as well as a model containing all possible randomly branched structures (a statistical model) were used for both a precursor glycogen and its amylopectin and were modified by placing short A-chains into the interior part of the structure and thus eliminating some of the longer chains. Debranching of the exterior A-chains of the glycogen model produced amylopectin plus 25% amylose with the assumption that only those A-chains removed from the glycogen were converted into amylose. A comparison of the debranched amylopectin model with debranched wheat and barley amylopectins showed the polymodal behavior of debranched amylopectins can be duplicated with a model system that has inner A-chains and a Poisson size distribution. Branching of external chains of glycogen without chain extension after synthesis has stopped plus inner A-chains can explain the increase (from glycogen to amylopectin) in the A/B chain ratio, the existance of cluster structures, and the observed decrease in branching (8% to 4%) in going from dent, waxy and sweet corn glycogens to their respective amylopectins (or 6.3% to 2.0% for glycogen to amylopectin in ae corn). Disperseable (as in waxy) or indispersable high molecular weight aggregates may be due to different amylopectin-protein complexes.     

Solubility Behavior of Granular Corn Starches in Methyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) as Measured by High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography

The extent of corn starch dispersibility and the relative molecular solubility of amylose and amylopectin in methyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were determined. Granular corn starches with <l, 25, 53, and 70% amylose were dispersed in 0–100% DMSO (in water) solutions at 30°C for 30 min. Maximum dispersibility for all starches (98%) was obtained when 90% DMSO/10% water was used; regular (normal) dent corn starch was equally dispersed in solutions with 88–94% DMSO. Molecular solubility, the presence of individual molecules of amylose and amylopectin, of starches was also measured (after centrifugation and filtration) by high performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). Starches were dispersed in 90% DMSO and heated for 10 min at temperatures of 35–120ºC. At low temperatures, high coefficients of variation resulted from additional DMSO solubilization after treatment. At 120ºC, 70% amylose starch was >90% solubilized, while waxy starch was only 47% solubilized. When starches were treated for 18–89 h in 90ºC DMSO, solubility stopped increasing after 67 h. High amylose starch (70%) was mostly solubilized, but 53% amylose, waxy and regular starches could only be fully solubilized after exposure to shear. Amylopectin molecules appeared more susceptible to shear induced depolymerization than amylose. The percent amylopectin in the high amylose starches reflected that as determined by iodine binding analysis and the manufacturer; while the percent amylopectin in regular starch was too low (manufacturers: 75%, HPSEC: 65%). Undispersed components were mostly amylopectin. Since amylose is fully solubilized, however, the HPSEC can be used to quickly determine percent amylose in starch.     

Amylose content and starch properties in emmer and durum wheat lines with different waxy proteins composition

BACKGROUND: Emmer wheat is a neglected crop that can be used in the breeding of modern durum wheat for quality. One important aspect of this quality is the starch composition, which is related to the waxy proteins. A collection of emmer wheat was analysed previously for waxy protein composition, and two new Wx‐B1 alleles were found by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing analysis. It is necessary to analyse the effect of these alleles in starch properties and compare them to durum wheat ones. RESULTS: In the current study, emmer lines carrying three different Wx‐B1 alleles (Wx‐B1b, ‐B1g, ‐B1c*), including one with the null allele (Wx‐B1b), together with durum cultivars Langdon (Wx‐B1a) and Mexicali (Wx‐B1c′), were analysed for amylose content. Differences were detected between both species, and the line lacking Wx‐B1 protein showed a remarkably low amylose content. In addition, data from blue value, swelling power and Rapid Visco Analyzer also suggested that there were differences in starch properties among the different Wx‐B1 alleles. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the amylose content in emmer (Wx‐B1g) and durum (Wx‐B1a) standard materials is not the same; therefore some starch properties are different between the two species. The variation found could be used to enlarge the gene pool of durum wheat and design new materials with desirable amylose content. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

The Influences of Chain Length of Amylopectin on Resistant Starch in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Amylopectin is the principle component of starch. To elucidate the relationships between amylopectin and resistant starch content, six rice mutants with altered fine structure of amylopectin were selected for comparative studies with the primary wild type and two types of amylose‐extender (ae) mutants. Significant differences in resistant starch content were observed among mutants with similarity or differences in amylose levels. Mutants high in resistant starch had significantly increased proportions of short amylopectin chains with DP≤12, decreased levels of intermediate chains with size of 13≤DP≤36, and decreased fractions of long chains with DP≥37. Additionally, there was a mutant different to ae, which was characterized by an increased level of short chains with 8≤DP≤12 and 13≤DP≤24, and a decreased proportion of long chains with DP≥37. The increased contents of short chains with 8≤DP≤12 and decreased of intermediate and long chains with 24≤DP were clearly associated with the increase of resistant starch in rice.     

Structural modification and characterization of rice starch treated by Thermus aquaticus 4-α-glucanotransferase

Rice starch was modified using Thermus aquaticus 4-α-glucanotransferase (TAαGTase) in this study. The changes in the molecular structure and the effect on the starch retrogradation by TAαGTase treatment were investigated on isolated rice starch. By treating TAαGTase, molecular weight profile of amylopectins shifted to higher elution time from 1.0 × 10⁸ to 2.4 × 10⁷ or 0.8 × 10⁷, depending on the level of enzyme dosage. Meanwhile, there were huge increases in the proportions of content corresponding to amylose size and even smaller molecules. On treating with TAαGTase, short branch chains (DP 1–8) increased, and longer branch chains (>DP 19) increased significantly as well, with a broader distribution up to DP 46 compared to the control rice starch. Amylose content decreased from 30.0 to 21.8–23.7%. This indicated that the amylose could be transferred to the amylopectin branch chain by the disproportionation of TAαGTase, resulting in lowering the amylose content and the formation of amylopectin with a broader branch-chain length distribution. TAαGTase modified rice starch showed that X-ray diffraction pattern of the B-type crystalline even before cold storage, and that a variety of cyclic glucans (DP 5–19) were produced by enzymatic reaction. In particular, the accelerated rate of starch retrogradation was clearly observed compared to the control due to an overall increase in the number of elongated long-branch chains, decrease in the amount of amylose–lipid complex, and the possible synergistic effects of these factors.     

Molecular Structure of Starches from Cassava Varieties having Different Cooked Root Textures

Starches from 12 cassava varieties with different cooked root texture; i.e. mealy, firm and mealy and firm, were investigated with a particular focus on aspects of molecular structures of amylose and amylopectin. Structural elements of amylopectin were essentially constant in terms of unit chain distributions and chain lengths. All cassava amylopectins displayed two distinct chain length peaks, at DP 40–46 and at DP 11–13, with a shoulder at DP 17–19, and average chain length (CL) of amylopectins was 17–20. A fraction of extra‐long chains in the range of 0.24–1.78% was found. Amylose and amylopectin from four varieties with different textures of cooked root were isolated. Data from C‐chain distributions indicated that the molecular size of amylopectin from M‐hanatee (Hanatee), a locally adapted cassava variety, was 2.5–2.9 times smaller than those of the other varieties. Three of the four amylose samples, except that from M‐hanatee, were very similar in average DP (4120–4390), chain length (530–550) and number of chains (7.1–7.5), and composed of nearly equal numbers of linear and branched molecules. The amylose from the M‐hanatee variety showed a unique characteristic: it had smaller size (2050), shorter chain length (450), fewer chains (4.7) and a higher content of linear fraction (58%), when compared with other amyloses.     

Starch Properties of a Waxy Mutant Line of Hull‐less Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Endosperm starch isolated from an amylose‐free waxy mutant hull‐less barley line, Shikoku Hadaka 97, had an amylose content of 0.3% and higher swelling power than ordinary waxy barley cultivars/lines with amylose contents of 2.2—6.5%. A highly significant correlation was observed between amylose content and swelling power among waxy barley starches. No clear differences were detected in the chain‐length distribution profiles or thermal properties between the amylose‐free starch and ordinary waxy starch. The chain‐length distribution profile of waxy barley starch was slightly different from that of normal barley starch. Gelatinization temperatures and gelatinization enthalpy of waxy barley starch were higher than those of normal barley starch. Significant correlations were observed between amylose content and thermal properties of starch samples analyzed. Waxy barley starch stained with a concentrated iodine‐potassium iodide solution showed a ghost‐like appearance.     

Analysis of Starch in Food Systems by High‐Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography

Starch has unique physicochemical characteristics among food carbohydrates. Starch contributes to the physicochemical attributes of food products made from roots, legumes, cereals, and fruits. It occurs naturally as distinct particles, called granules. Most starch granules are a mixture of 2 sugar polymers: a highly branched polysaccharide named amylopectin and a basically linear polysaccharide named amylose. The starch contained in food products undergoes changes during processing, which causes changes in the starch molecular weight and amylose to amylopectin ratio. The objective of this study was to develop a new, simple, 1‐step, and accurate method for simultaneous determination of amylose and amylopectin ratio as well as weight‐averaged molecular weights of starch in food products. Starch from bread flour, canned peas, corn flake cereal, snack crackers, canned kidney beans, pasta, potato chips, and white bread was extracted by dissolving in KOH, urea, and precipitation with ethanol. Starch samples were solubilized and analyzed on a high‐performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) system. To verify the identity of the peaks, fractions were collected and soluble starch and beta‐glucan assays were performed additional to gas chromatography analysis. We found that all the fractions contain only glucose and soluble starch assay is correlated to the HPSEC fractionation. This new method can be used to determine amylose amylopectin ratio and weight‐averaged molecular weight of starch from various food products using as low as 25 mg dry samples.     

Variation in the Chain‐length Distribution Profiles of Endosperm Starch from Triticum and Aegilops Species

The baseline variation data on the chain‐length distribution profiles of endosperm starch were acquired for use as a criterion for variation among bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars/lines. A total of 126 starch samples isolated from closely related species belonging to the Triticum‐Aegilops group, i.e., five Triticum and 22 Aegilops species, were examined. Their side‐chains were debranched by isoamylase and chain‐length distribution profiles were determined by high‐performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC‐PAD). An averaged chain‐length distribution profile calculated from all data indicated that the most abundant side‐chain had a degree of polymerization (DP) of 11 and its proportion based on relative peak area was 7.5%. The side‐chains were classified into four groups, and the average proportions of each group were as follows; DP 6–12, 28.5% (range 26.3–30.9%); DP 13–24, 48.6% (46.2–50.8%); DP 25–36, 13.7% (12.8–15.2%) and DP ≥37, 8.9% (7.2–10.6%). The chain‐length distribution profiles of Triticum and Aegilops species were essentially similar and no peculiar profile was observed. The range of the variation in the proportion of side‐chain groups, however, was comparable to the difference between waxy and non‐waxy bread wheat starches and among starches from wheat grown at different temperatures; this would affect the gelatinization and retrogradation properties of starch.     

Stufenweise Elutionsanalyse der Fraktionen von thermisch dispergierter Amylose-, Kartoffel- und Wachsmaisstärke

Stepwise Elution Analysis of Fractions of Thermically Dispersed High Amylose, Potato and Waxy Corn Starch. Changes in the starch constituents - the amylose and the amylopectin — from dispersions of high amylose, potato- and waxy corn starch were studied by stepwise elution analysis and determination of molecular weight. The dispersions were prepared by dispersing the pastes 1 and 3 h at 120 °C and the amyloses and amylopectins separated by means of n-butanol and methanol, resp. With the exeption of a partial separation in waxy corn starch no separation of pastes into amylose and amylopectin could be observed, probably due to the mild pasting conditions in the Brabender Viscograph. By stepwise elution analysis it could be stated that after prolonged thermic dispersing of the pastes of high amylose starch the amylose and amylopectin do no longer change, which is in good agreement with the values of molecular weight. By analogous treatment of the pastes of potato starch, however, a decomposition of amylose and amylopectin could be stated. In the dispersions of waxy corn starch the amylose molecules decompose to a degree whereafter thermic dispersing of 3 h practically no complex with n-butanol could be observed. Relatively great losses were stated at the isolation of the precipitated constituents. It was stated that the isolated amyloses of potato starch are suitable substrates for activity measurements of α-amylase in human serum and urine as well as in other biologic materials.     

Chemometric Analysis of the Gelatinization and Pasting Properties of Long‐grain Rice Starches in Relation to Fine Structure

Chemometric tests were carried out to better understand the multidimensional facet of starch fine structure‐relationship concerning gelatinization and pasting properties. With Ward's hierarchical cluster analysis 20 long‐grain rice starch samples were sorted out into three clusters based on similarities in functional properties, particularly, paste peak (PV) and final viscosity (FV). The three clusters (arbitrarily named Clusters A, B, and C) exhibited a pasting profile trend of PV<FV, PV˜FV, and PV>FV, respectively. Cluster A samples were also lower in peak temperature, range and enthalpy of gelatinization, and swelling power. These attributes were associated with higher amylose content (AM), β‐amylolysis limit, and percentage of B1 chains (DP13‐24), but lower amylopectin weight‐average molar mass (M_w) and percentage of A chains (DP6‐12). A 5‐variable linear discriminant function correctly predicted 85% of the Ward's cluster membership of the individual cultivars. The discriminant function included the variables A, B1, and B2 (DP25‐36) chains, average chain length (ACL), and gyration radius (R_z). Fine structure variance was fully explained by a total of nine principal components, with the first three components cumulatively accounting for 74%. The leading variables included in the three rotated components pertained to amylopectin chain length distribution (A, B2, and B3+ or DP≥37 chains, and ACL) and amylopectin molar mass (M_w, R_z, and polydispersity). AM and M_w were loaded most frequently in the 4‐variable, best‐fit linear regression models for predicting gelatinization and pasting properties. A combination of at least two fine structure variables controls the functionality of rice starch.