The STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABEŞ-BOLYAI issue article summary
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Authors: MARIA TOMOAIA-COTISEL, NICOLAE CIOICA, CONSTANTIN COTA, CSABA RACZ, IOAN PETEAN, LIVIU DOREL BOBOS, AURORA MOCANU, OSSI HOROVITZ.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to reveal the micro and nanostructure of maize starch granules from Romanian cultivar. The size, shape and surface morphology of the native maize starch granules are shown by AFM observations. Numerous structures, protrusions (particles), pores or depressions and cracks were found on the surface of maize starch granules and they have a broad range of sizes. The occurrence of small spherical protrusions might be related with the highly branched amylopectin molecules in substantial agreement with the amylopectin blocklets model. The larger particles were also visualized, representing different associations of amylopectin and amylose and other granule surface components as previously discussed. The existence of rather smooth regions with low surface roughness and rougher zones on the starch granules is confirmed.
Keywords: native maize starch, granule surface, supramolecular structuring, atomic force microscopy (AFM)
