Publication no. C-1999-0813-02R |  VIEW ARTICLE

NOTE: Potential Use of Raman Spectroscopy for Determination of Amylose Content in Maize Starch.

David Lee Phillips (1,2), Jie Xing (3), Huijun Liu (3), Duo-Hai Pan (1), and Harold Corke (3). (1) Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Rd, Hong Kong. (2) Corresponding author. Fax: +852 2857-1586. E-mail: <phillips@hku.hk> (3) Department of Botany, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Rd, Hong Kong. Cereal Chem. 76(5):821-823. Accepted July 15, 1999. Copyright 1999 American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc.

An analytical method using Raman spectroscopy was developed for the determination of amylose concentration in maize starches. FT-Raman spectra of four maize starches with amylose content varying from 3.3 to 66% were obtained. A Raman band at approximately 1657 cm(^-1) correlated linearly with amylose concentration in the four maize starches, and a calibration curve for Raman band intensity versus amylose content was developed. The linear correlation of the I(1657)/I(900) integrated areas with amylose content was r = 0.997. The Raman-based calibration curve allows fast and nondestructive determination of the amylose content in maize starches with minimal sample preparation.