On the molecular structure of the amylopectin fraction isolated from "high-amylose" ae maize starches.

The amylopectin fractions from starch of a series of amylose-extender (ae) maize samples (HYLON(®) V, VII and VIII starches) were isolated and analysed for their molecular composition and structure. The fractions from all samples contained both a high and a low molecular weight fraction (HMF and LMF), of which LMF increased with the amylose content of the starch and appeared to have substantially more of long chains than HMF. A normal amylose-containing maize starch (NMS), which served as a reference sample, contained very little LMF, which suggested that LMF was the inherent result of the effect of the loss of starch branching enzyme IIb activity in the ae mutants.