Screening Potato Starch for Novel Properties Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Thermal and other physicochemical properties of starch from 42 potato genotypes were studied to find those with unique properties for food use, and to analyze relationships between thermal and other physicochemical properties. Onset and peak transition temperatures and gelatinization enthalpy intercorrelated. Transition temperatures intercorrelated with pasting temperature using a Brabender Visco-amylograph. Gelatinization entbalpy correlated with Brabender pasting temperature and peak paste viscosity, and onset temperature correlated with phosphorus content. Genotype E55–3.5 with highest onset and peak transition temperatures also had highest phosphorus and peak Brabender viscosity. DSC might be useful for rapidly screening samples of <1g starch for such. Potato starch DSC characteristics did not correlate with amylose, intrinsic viscosity, or water-binding. For 10 genotypes from successive years, correlations were observed for pasting temperature (r = 0.83), phosphorus content (r = 0.80), and stability ratio (r = 0.66). Direct comparison between samples from consecutive years showed good reproducibility for amylose, but not for phosphorus or pasting.