13.4 Chemistry of Aquatic Starch
293
Fig. 13.1 a Branched 1–6 linked alpha glucose units and b linear alpha 1–4 linked alpha glucose
repeating units
of excess water at the gelatinization temperature. This property is important in the
application of starch in, for example, film formation and uses as a thickening agent.
Gelatinization of the red algae Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis is 55.1 °C, and that of red
algae Gracilaria chilensis is 52.7 °C, while that of green algae U. ohnois is 118.4 °C.
Gelatinization temperature of starch from terrestrial plants is generally higher, for
example the gelatinization temperature of potato starch is 120.8 °C (Prabhu et al.
2019) lower values for the gelatinization temperature of potato starch of 66.2 °C have
been reported in other studies (Yu et al. 2002). This suggests that the gelatinization
temperature from algal source is possibly generally lower than that from terrestrial
plants.
In one of the rare studies to observe the starch structure in algae cells, TEM and
confocal imaging revealed starch granules between 5 and 7 µm present within the cell
cytoplasm and thylakoids of the chloroplasts in U. ohnoi green algae. TEM imaging
293
Fig. 13.1 a Branched 1–6 linked alpha glucose units and b linear alpha 1–4 linked alpha glucose
repeating units
of excess water at the gelatinization temperature. This property is important in the
application of starch in, for example, film formation and uses as a thickening agent.
Gelatinization of the red algae Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis is 55.1 °C, and that of red
algae Gracilaria chilensis is 52.7 °C, while that of green algae U. ohnois is 118.4 °C.
Gelatinization temperature of starch from terrestrial plants is generally higher, for
example the gelatinization temperature of potato starch is 120.8 °C (Prabhu et al.
2019) lower values for the gelatinization temperature of potato starch of 66.2 °C have
been reported in other studies (Yu et al. 2002). This suggests that the gelatinization
temperature from algal source is possibly generally lower than that from terrestrial
plants.
In one of the rare studies to observe the starch structure in algae cells, TEM and
confocal imaging revealed starch granules between 5 and 7 µm present within the cell
cytoplasm and thylakoids of the chloroplasts in U. ohnoi green algae. TEM imaging