Starch and amylopectin - Effects of solutes on clarity of pastes

The effect of sucrose, glucose and sodium chloride at different concentrations on clarity of starch and amylopectin pastes was studied. It was found that clarity of amaranth, waxy corn and normal corn starch pastes tended to increase by increasing carbohydrate concentrations. The percentage of transmittance (%T) values for the same starch sample with sucrose and glucose did not present significantly differences (alpha=0.05). The starches with sodium chloride did not show a defined pattern. The %T for amaranth and waxy corn amylopectin pastes with all solutes tended to increase by increasing solute concentration. Interestingly, the %T values among all amylopectins at a given solute concentration were significantly different (alpha=0.05) probably due to different chain length proportion in such amylopectins. The same amylopectin in presence of sucrose and glucose did not show %T significantly different (alpha=0.05) but with sodium chloride those values were different (alpha=0.05).