A Universal Feature in the Structure of Starch Granules from Different Botanical Sources

Abstract Starch samples from different botanical species show few unifying features in either structure or function: for example both the amylose/amylopectin ratio and the amylopectin chain length are found to vary extensively with botanic source. We have applied a detailed analysis to data obtained from small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) of a variety of different starches which has shown the existence of a constant structural periodicity. This finding suggests the possibility of a general mechanism governing the way starch is laid down in different species.