Starch

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of producing a starch with unique functionality in plants through mutagenesis, and/or using biotechnology, and/or breeding practices. Further the invention relates to the starch from maize plants and/or other plants which produce starch storing organs which contain low amylose starch which has an amylose content between 1.5% and 15% and preferably between 1.5% and 10% and most preferably 1.5 and 8%. The invention includes starch extracted from such novel grain due to at least one mutation induced by ethyl methanesulfonate. Additionally, the invention uses a biotechnology approach involving controlling the activity of the granule bound starch synthase enzyme in starch storing organ. The invention includes the use of the starch for its cooking, paste, and gel properties.

1 . A maize waxyE starch having a reduced amylose content, wherein: 
 i) said starch has an EM greater than the EM of a waxy starch produced from a waxy maize plant and less than the EM of a starch from a wild type maize plant;    ii) said starch has an AP ratio within 0.5 of the AP ratio of starch of said wild type maize plant, and    iii) said starch is indistinguishable from starch from said wild type maize plant when stained with iodine.    
     
     
         2 . The starch of  claim 1 , having an EM at least twice the EM of waxy maize starch.  
     
     
         3 . The starch of  claim 1 , having an EM of at least 10 Pascals.  
     
     
         4 . The starch of  claim 1 , wherein the EM is measured after said starch has been cooked as a suspension of starch using a Rapid Visco Analyzer 4 instrument, and instrument conditions specified in the Newport Scientific Method 1 (STD1) Version 5 heating and stirring profile, and stored for 24 hours at 25° C.  
     
     
         5 . The starch of  claim 1 , characterized by a phase angle below yield strain which is less than the phase angle below yield strain of a waxy maize starch.  
     
     
         6 . The starch of  claim 4 , having a gel character below yield strain which is: 
 a) greater than the gel character below yield strain of a waxy maize starch; and    b) less than the gel character below yield strain of a wild type maize starch.    
     
     
         7 . The starch of  claim 1  which, when subjected to a strain below yield strain, has an increase in G′ less than two fold as the oscillatory testing frequency is increased from 0.1 to 100 radians per second.  
     
     
         8 . A maize waxyE starch having a firmness less than 30 g-s and more than 1 g-s after being cooked as a suspension of 10% starch (dry weight %) according to an RVA Standard Method and then stored for seven days at 4° C., wherein said starch has an AP ratio within 0.5 of the AP ratio of a wild type maize starch.  
     
     
         9 . A maize waxyE starch having a resilience of at least 50% after being cooked as a suspension of 10% starch (dry weight %) according to an RVA Standard Method and then stored for seven days at 4° C., wherein said starch has an AP ratio within 0.5 of the AP ratio of wild type maize starch.  
     
     
         10 . A sol or paste comprising the starch of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         11 . A gel of the starch of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         12 . A foodstuff comprising the sol or paste of  claim 10   
     
     
         13 . A foodstuff comprising the gel of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         14 . A foodstuff comprising the starch of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         15 . A method of making a foodstuff comprising admixing edible ingredients with a maize waxyE starch having a reduced amylose content, wherein: 
 i) said starch has an EM greater than the EM of a waxy starch produced from a waxy maize plant and less than the EM of a starch from a wild type maize plant;    ii) said starch has an AP ratio within 0.5 of the AP ratio of starch of said wild type maize plant, and    iii) said starch is indistinguishable from starch from said wild type maize plant when stained with iodine.