Noodle Quality as Related to Sorghum Starch Properties

Starch was extracted from 10 sorghum genotypes and physicochemical properties (amylose content and pasting, textural, and thermal properties) were evaluated. The amylose content was 24–30%. DC‐75 starch had the highest peak viscosity (380 Rapid Visco Analyser units). Gelatinization peak temperature occurred over a narrow range (67–69°C). Genotypes Kasvikisire and SV2 produced white starches. Starches from other genotypes were different shades of pink. The starch noodles prepared were, accordingly, either white or pink. Cooking enhanced the pink coloration of noodles. Cooking loss, noodle rehydration, and elasticity were evaluated. Cooking loss was low (mean 2.4%). Noodle elasticity was highly correlated with starch pasting properties of hot paste viscosity (HPV) (r = 0.81, P < 0.01) and cold paste viscosity (CPV) (r = 0.75, P < 0.01). Noodle rehydration was significantly correlated to the initial swelling temperature of starch (T_i) (r = ‐0.91, P < 0.001) and gelatinization peak temperature (T_p) (r = 0.69, P < 0.05). The findings suggest a potential area of food application for sorghum genotypes of different grain colors. Evaluation of starch properties could be a good starting point for selecting sorghum genotypes with superior noodle‐making properties.     

Diversity of Starch Pasting Properties in Iranian Hexaploid Wheat Landraces

Wheat landraces possess a wide diversity in starch physical properties that could be useful in breeding for improved quality of specific products, such as various types of Asian noodles. The pasting properties (using a Rapid Visco-Analyser [RVA]) and flour swelling volume (FSV, using silver nitrate to inactivate α-amylase activity) of wholemeal, were measured for 242 hexaploid accessions of Iranian landrace wheat. FSV values and the peak viscosities were positively correlated (r = 0.73***). FSV values in the landraces ranged from 8.3 to 15.9 mL/g and peak viscosities ranged from 139 to 305 RVA units (RVU). In comparison, FSV of cvs. Eradu and Klasic were 18.6 and 15.0 mL/g, and peak viscosities were 355 and 303 RVU, respectively. Of the landraces, Iranian Wheat Accession (IWA) 8602488 had the highest peak viscosity (305 RVU) and exceptionally high hot- and cool-paste viscosities. Two accessions, IWA 8602430 and 8600544, displayed pasting characteristics considered desirable for high-quality Japanese white-salted noodles. Four landraces were identified that had starch with unusually high resistance to shearthinning. Texture profile analysis was done on the wholemeal gels formed in the RVA canister. The variation in parameters such as hardness, chewiness, and adhesiveness in the landraces greatly exceeded that in the cultivars. The hot-paste viscosity, breakdown, setback, and final viscosity values, but not the peak viscosity or FSV, were highly significantly correlated with the hardness, chewiness, and adhesiveness of the gel. The Iranian landraces appear to present useful genetic variation for developing wheats for special uses.     

Influence of Annealing on Gel Properties of Mung Bean Starch

Mung bean starch gels (8% solids) were prepared after annealing at 45–60°C for 1–24 hr, and the relationship between the physical properties of gels and the swelling power (SP) and solubility of starch was investigated. The SP and solubility decreased with increasing annealing temperature and time, mostly in the first 6 hr. The solubles were mainly composed of amylose. Gel hardness at a 5 mm depth of annealed starch was larger than that of native starch, and gel hardness increased as SP decreased (r = ‐0.94). Upon continued compression, the yield force of gel showed a different function. Above SP of ≈12.5, the yield force of annealed starch gels decreased, but at <12.5 the yield force increased with increasing SP. Both granular rigidity and extent of packing appeared to determine the yield force. Although annealing increased the gel hardness, α‐amylase digestibility of gel was not affected. Pasting analysis in the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) revealed that annealing increased pasting temperature. A pasting peak was found only in 45 and 50°C annealed starches. Overall paste viscosities of the starches annealed at >55°C were lower than that of the control starch. Final viscosities in RVA were correlated with the yield force of gel (r = 0.99).     

Relationships Between Some Structures and Functionalities of Starches from Wheat Cultivars Grown in East China

Starches separated from 30 wheat cultivars grown in East China were studied for granule size, amylose content, degree of crystallinity, thermal, pasting, and gel textural properties. Average granule size and amylose content of wheat starches were 15.08–20.8 μm and 29.43–34.19%, respectively. The degree of crystallinity and enthalpy of gelatinization of samples was 29.54–42.12% and 5.2–9.95 J/g, respectively. The gelatinization temperature and pasting temperature were 59.45–62.2°C and 75.40–83.95°C, respectively. There was a wide range of gel hardness values (208.5–426 g). Various significant correlations between functionality and structural parameters were observed. Highly positive correlations were found between the gelatinization temperatures. Gelatinization peak temperature was significantly correlated to hardness of starch gels (r = –0.374, P < 0.05). Significant correlations were observed between amylose content and breakdown viscosity (r = –0.483, P < 0.01), hardness (r = 0.373, P < 0.05), and cohesiveness (r = 0.378, P < 0.05). Many significant correlations between the various pasting parameters were observed. The average granule size was positively correlated to peak viscosity, trough viscosity, and final viscosity (r = 0.369, 0.381, and 0.398, respectively, P < 0.05).     

Composition,Thermal Behavior,and Gel Texture of Prime and Tailings Starches from Garbanzo Beans and Peas

Prime and tailings starches of garbanzo beans and peas were separated and the chemical composition, physical properties, thermal behavior, and gel properties were determined. Starch granules <35 μm were 85% in garbanzo beans, 66.8% in a smooth pea cv. Latah, and only 18.4% in a smooth pea cv. SS Alaska. Amylose content of prime starch was 35.9% in garbanzo beans, 44.5–48.8% in smooth peas, and 86.0% in wrinkled pea cv. Scout. Tailings starch amylose content was at least 8% higher than the corresponding prime starch. The endothermic enthalpy value of garbanzo bean and two smooth pea prime starches ranged from 12.1 to 14.2 J/g, while prime starch from wrinkled peas gave a distinctly lower enthalpy value of 1.1 J/g. Differential scanning calorimetry endothermic enthalpy and amylograph pasting properties of prime starch were significantly related to its amylose content (P < 0.05). Prime starches of garbanzo beans and smooth peas produced highly cohesive elastic gels. Wrinkled pea prime starch formed the strongest (though brittle) gel, as indicated by high hardness (21.8 N), low cohesiveness (0.29), and low springiness (0.82). Hardness of gel stored at 22°C and at 4°C was positively correlated with amylose content of starch.     

Comparison of Physical Properties of Wheat Starch Gels with Different Amylose Content

The effects of amylose content and other starch properties on concentrated starch gel properties were evaluated using 10 wheat cultivars with different amylose content. Starches were isolated from grains of two waxy and eight nonwaxy wheat lines. The amylose content of waxy wheat lines was 1.4–1.7% and that of nonwaxy lines was 18.5–28.6%. Starch gels were prepared from a concentrated starch suspension (30 and 40%). Gelatinized starch was cooled and stored at 5°C for 1, 8, 16, 24, and 48 hr. The rheological properties of starch gels were studied by measuring dynamic viscoelasticity with parallel plate geometry. The low‐amylose starch showed a significantly lower storage shear modulus (G′) than starches with higher amylose content during storage. Waxy starch gel had a higher frequency dependence of G′ and properties clearly different from nonwaxy starches. In 40% starch gels, the starch with lower amylose showed a faster increase in G′ during 48 hr of storage, and waxy starch showed an extremely steep increase in G′. The amylose content and concentration of starch suspension markedly affected starch gel properties.     

Production of Bihon-type Noodles from Maize Starch Differing in Amylose Content

Maize starches extracted from selected maize cultivars with 0.2–60.8% amylose contents were used to produce bihon-type noodles. Starch dough using a pregelatinized starch binder was prepared and extruded through a laboratory-scale extruder simulating the traditional process of making bihon in the Philippines. The normal maize starches with amylose content of ≈28% were successfully used for bihon-type noodle production, but waxy maize starches with 0.2–3.8% amylose content and high-amylose maize starches with 40.0–60.8% amylose content failed to produce bihon-type noodles. Viscoamylograph profile parameters and swelling volume are significantly correlated to amylose content of maize starch samples evaluated. These physicochemical properties may be used to indicate that the starch samples at normal amylose levels may be used for bihon-type noodles. Starch noodles produced in the laboratory were not significantly different in terms of either cooking quality or textural properties from two commercially produced maize noodle samples, except for adhesiveness. The laboratory process and fabricated extruder can be used to produce bihon-type noodles.     

A Comparative Study on Pasting and Hydration Properties of Native Rice Starches and Their Mixtures

Four rice starches were isolated from waxy and nonwaxy rice cultivars collected from different places in China. Individual rice starches were examined, along with their corresponding mixtures in different ratios, in terms of pasting and hydration properties. Analysis by micro‐viscoamylography (MVAG) showed that waxy rice starch and its blends had higher peak viscosity (PV), breakdown (BD), and setback (SB) than the remaining starches and mixtures. Apparent amylose content (AC) was 16.95–29.85% in nonwaxy individual rice starches and 13.69–25.07% in rice starch blends. Incorporating waxy rice starch (25%) significantly decreased the AC. AC correlated negatively with swelling power (SP) (r = ‐0.925, P < 0.01). SP exhibited nonlinear relationship (r² = 0.8204) with water solubility (WS) and both increased with temperature. The correlation showed that WS is also an index of starch characteristics and the granules rigidity affected the granule swelling potential. The results show that turbidity of gelatinized starch suspensions stored at 4 ± 0.5°C generally increased during storage up to five days.     

Effect of Steeping Treatment on Pasting and Thermal Properties of Sorghum Starches

Chemical treatments in wet milling could improve the physico‐chemical properties of starch isolated from high‐tannin sorghums. Sorghums Chirimaugute (medium‐tannin), DC‐75 (high‐tannin), and SV2 (tannin‐free) were steeped in water, dilute HCl (0.9%, v/v), formaldehyde (0.05%, v/v), and NaOH (0.3%, w/v) solutions before wet milling and starch separation. Pasting, textural, and thermal properties of starch were determined. Steeping in NaOH resulted in starches with higher peak viscosity (PV), cool paste viscosity (CPV), and setback than when water, HCl, and formaldehyde were used. The time to PV (P_time) and PV temperature (P_temp) were markedly reduced by treatment with NaOH. NaOH could have caused a degree of pregelatinization. HCl treatment gave starches with higher P_temp and P _time, presumably due to delayed granule swelling. Gel hardness was largely determined by the starch amylase content. The low hardness of DC‐75 starch gels was slightly improved in NaOH‐treated grains. Gelatinization temperatures of sorghum starches were generally low, regardless of steeping treatment. Starch from NaOH‐treated grain generally had slightly higher gelatinization temperatures than when water, HCl, or HCHO was used. Chemical treatments during steeping of sorghum grains greatly affected starch properties. Dilute alkali steeping during wet milling could be used to improve properties of starch isolated from tannin‐containing sorghums.     

Role of Phosphorus in Viscosity,Gelatinization, and Retrogradation of Starch

The effect of starch crystallinity and phosphorus on starch gelatinization and retrogradation were studied using wide-angle X-ray powder diffraction, cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Two starches differing significantly in peak viscosity (cv. Stephens, 283 BU; cv. Crew, 560 BU) were comparable in amylose content and starch crystallinity, while differing significantly in phospholipids content. Starch of lower peak viscosity had a higher phospholipids content and showed a slower rate of retrogradation. Starch from Stephens (0.098% phosphorus) had an enthalpy value of retrograded starch of 2.2 J/g after 14 days of storage, while starch from Crew (0.062% phosphorus) had an enthalpy value as high as 4.4 J/g. Defatting with a hot n-propanol and water (3:1) mixture caused substantial changes in peak viscosity. Peak viscosity for starch from Crew decreased by 75 RVU due to defatting, while starch from Stephens decreased by as much as 125 RVU. After defatting with the hot n-propanol water mixture, the rate and extent of starch retrogradation were comparable between the prime starches, which differed significantly in peak viscosity.     

Physicochemical Properties of Normal and Waxy Job's Tears (Coix lachryma-jobi L.) Starch

Physicochemical properties of starches from eight coix (Coix lachrymajobi L.) accessions were investigated. There was considerable variation in most measured traits, generally corresponding to the separation into waxy and normal amylose types. The amylose contents of five normal coix ranged from 15.9 to 25.8%, and those of three waxy coix were 0.7–1.1%. Swelling power of waxy coix starches varied between 28.6 and 41.0 g/g, generally higher than waxy maize. Normal coix starches had significantly higher gelatinization peak temperature (T_p) than the normal maize, 71.9–75.5°C. The T_p of waxy coix starches was 71.1–71.4°C, similar to waxy maize. Rapid Visco-Analyser (RVA) pasting profiles of normal coix showed little variation and closely matched the normal maize starch profile. Pasting profiles of waxy coix showed more variation and had lower peak viscosities than waxy maize starch. Waxy coix starches formed very weak gels, while the gel hardness of normal coix starches was 11.4–31.1 g. Amylose content was the main factor controlling differences in starch properties of the coix starches.     

Evaluation of Quality Factors in Argentine Maize Races

Samples of Argentine maize from 12 landraces were analyzed for starch and amylose content and were evaluated for hardness parameters. Amylose contents of these Argentine landraces were generally higher than for typical dent hybrids grown in the United States. Hardness, as estimated by near‐infrared reflectance; from wavelength shift of the near‐infrared transmittance spectrum absorbance maximum (λ_max) in the 610–680 nm region; and by percentage of γ‐zein in zein‐2 (determined by reversed‐phase HPLC), correlated well with classical definitions of endosperm type and with amylose content. Starch content correlated negatively with hardness. Flint landraces varied substantially in amylose and starch content. The strong correlation between amylose content and maize endosperm hardness confirms and strengthens previous observations, and may provide a compositional basis for endosperm quality.     

Survey of White Salted Noodle Quality Characteristics in Wheat Landraces

The introduction of novel quality characteristics from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landraces can enhance the genetic diversity of current wheat breeding programs. The composition of starch and protein in wheat is important when determining the end‐product quality, particularly for white salted noodles (WSN). Quality characteristics that contribute to the production of improved WSN include high starch pasting peak viscosity, low amylose content, high proportion of A‐type granules, low protein content, soft grain texture, and high protein quality as measured by SDS sedimentation volume. A survey of 133 wheat landraces from Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Syria, and Turkey was conducted to examine the genetic variability of starch and protein quality characteristics. Two wheat cultivars, Rosella and Meering, were used as the quality controls. The variation in starch pasting peak viscosities observed among the wheat landraces had a range of 175–295 Rapid Visco Analyser units (RVU), where 52 of the landraces were not significantly different from Rosella, a commercial soft grain wheat with high pasting properties. The amylose content of the landrace population was 23.4–30.2%, where 17 landraces had significantly lower values than Rosella. The proportion of A‐type granules was 60.5–73.9%, where 112 landraces had significantly higher values than Rosella. The grain texture hardness score was 28.0–99.3, the total protein content was 8.0–15.1%, and the adjusted SDS sedimentation volume (SDS/protein) was 1.6–7.0 mL/%P. The landrace AUS4635 had high starch pasting peak viscosity, high breakdown, low amylose content, low protein content, soft grain texture, and high protein quality flour. This wheat is an ideal parent to use in a breeding program that increases the genetic variation available to develop cultivars with high‐quality WSN characteristics.     

Physicochemical Properties and Molecular Structures of Starches from Millet (Pennisetum typhoides) and Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Cultivars in Nigeria

Some physicochemical properties and molecular structures of starches from millet (Pennisetum typhoides, Doro and Gero) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, red and white) in Nigeria were examined. Starch granules of millet and sorghum were 3–14 μm and 4–26 μm in diameter, respectively. Millet cultivars had similar peak viscosities (204–205 RVU) on pasting, while sorghum showed similar minimum viscosities (155–156 RVU). The actual amylose content (%) calculated from iodine affinity (IA, g/100 g) was 20.1 and 21.4 for sorghum and 21.3 for millet. The IA of amylopectin was high (1.27–1.42) and its average chain lengths were 20–21 with β‐amylolysis limit of 56%. Amylopectins showed a polymodal molecular weight distribution on a molar basis. The distributions differed among the samples with a higher amount of larger molecules in Doro and red sorghum. Weight‐ and molar‐based distributions of debranched amylopectins on HPSEC were polymodal with weight‐based distribution showing presence of long chains. Peak DP values for A+B₁ and B₂+B₃ chain fractions were 13–16 and 42–43, respectively. The (A+B₁)/(B₂+B₃) ratio on molar basis (9.0–11.5) was similar to maize and rice amylopectins. Peak DP on molar‐based distribution for white sorghum and millet amyloses were similar (490–540) and the DP_n range was narrow (1,060–1,300), but weight‐based distribution profiles differed. The average chain lengths were 260–270 with 3.9–4.8 chains per molecule.     

Structure and Functionality of Barley Starches

Amylose contents of prime starches from nonwaxy and high-amylose barley, determined by colorimetric method, were 24.6 and 48.7%, respectively, whereas waxy starch contained only a trace (0.04%) of amylose. There was little difference in isoamylase-debranched amylopectin between nonwaxy and high-amylose barley, whereas amylopectin from waxy barley had a significantly higher percentage of fraction with degree of polymerization < 15 (45%). The X-ray diffraction pattern of waxy starch differed from nonwaxy and high-amylose starches. Waxy starch had sharper peaks at 0.58, 0.51, 0.49, and 0.38 nm than nonwaxy and high-amylose starches. The d-spacing at 0.44 nm, characterizing the amylose-lipids complex, was most evident for high-amylose starch and was not observed in waxy starch. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms of prime starch from nonwaxy and high-amylose barley exhibited two prominent transition peaks: the first was >60°C and corresponded to starch gelatinization; the second was >100°C and corresponded to the amylose-lipid complex. Starch from waxy barley had only one endothermic gelatinization peak of amylopectin with an enthalpy value of 16.0 J/g. The retrogradation of gelatinized starch of three types of barley stored at 4°C showed that amylopectin recrystallization rates of nonwaxy and high-amylose barley were comparable when recrystallization enthalpy was calculated based on the percentage of amylopectin. No amylopectin recrystallization peak was observed in waxy barley. Storage time had a strong influence on recrystallization of amylopectin. The enthalpy value for nonwaxy barley increased from 1.93 J/g after 24 hr of storage to 3.74 J/g after 120 hr. When gel was rescanned every 24 hr, a significant decrease in enthalpy was recorded. A highly statistically significant correlation (r = 0.991) between DSC values of retrograded starch of nonwaxy barley and gel hardness was obtained. The correlation between starch enthalpy value and gel hardness of starch concentrate indicates that gel texture is due mainly to its starch structure and functionality. The relationship between the properties of starch and starch concentrate may favor the application of barley starch concentrate without the necessity of using the wet fractionation process.     

Physicochemical Properties of Flours that Relate to Sorghum Couscous Quality

Flours from eight sorghum cultivars were evaluated for their couscous-making ability with the objective of finding predictive relationships between flour physicochemical properties and couscous quality. Chemical composition, physical characteristics, and pasting and gelatinization properties of the flours were determined. A laboratory procedure was used to prepare couscous. Couscous properties were evaluated and compared to a laboratory-prepared and a commercial durum wheat couscous. Hard grain produced flours containing a high proportion of coarse particles with low ash and high damaged starch content and yielded a higher proportion of desirable sorghum couscous granules. A variety of colors ranging from brown to yellow were obtained when flours were processed into couscous. Cooked sorghum couscous stickiness was positively correlated (r = 0.89, P < 0.01) with the amount of damaged starch in flour. Cooked couscous hardness correlated positively (r = 0.79, P < 0.05) with apparent amylose content of flour and correlated negatively (r = -0.75, P < 0.05) with flour peak viscosity. Durum wheat couscous was lighter and had more yellow color than sorghum couscous. Sorghum couscous was stickier and harder than durum wheat couscous. Addition of 2% oil to the cooking water considerably improved the texture of some sorghum couscous to a level comparable to that of durum wheat couscous.     

Physicochemical Properties of Common and Tartary Buckwheat Starch

Physicochemical properties of starch of three common (Fagopyrum esculentum) and three tartary (F. tataricum) buckwheat varieties from Shanxi Province, China, were compared. Starch color, especially b*, differed greatly between tartary (7.99–9.57) and common (1.97–2.42) buckwheat, indicating that removal of yellow pigments from tartary buckwheat flour may be problematic during starch isolation. Starch swelling volume in water of reference wheat starch (2.8% solids and 92.5°C) was 20.1 mL; for the three common buckwheat starches it was 27.4–28.0 mL; and for the three tartary buckwheat starches it was 26.5–30.8 mL. Peak gelatinization temperature (T_p) in water was 63.7°C for wheat starch, 66.3–68.8°C for common buckwheat and 68.8–70.8°C for tartary buckwheat. T_p of all samples was similarly delayed (by 4.0–4.8°C) by 1% NaCl. Enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔH) was higher for all six buckwheat starches than it was for wheat starch. However, one common buckwheat sample had significantly lower ΔH than the others. Starch pasting profiles, measured by a Rapid Visco-Analyzer, were characteristic and similar for all six buckwheat starches, and very different from the reference wheat starch. A comparison of pasting characteristics of common and tartary buckwheat starches to wheat starch indicated similar peak viscosity, higher hot paste viscosity, higher cool paste viscosity, smaller effect of NaCl on peak viscosity, and higher resistance to shear thinning. Texture profile analysis of starch gels showed significantly greater hardness for all buckwheat samples when compared to wheat starch.     

Utilization of Oxidized and Cross-Linked Corn Starches in Wheat Flour Batter

Starch is often added to batters to improve the texture and appearance of fried food products. However, comparisons of commercially available starches in terms of batter characteristics are rare. In this study, various corn starches, native or modified, were mixed with wheat flour (20% dry solids basis), and the physical properties of the batters after deep-fat frying were examined. Native corn starches of different amylose contents (high-amylose, normal, and waxy) and chemically modified corn starches (oxidized and cross-linked) were tested. The batter was prepared by adding water to the starch-flour mixtures (42% solids) and deep-fat frying at 180°C for 30 sec. The texture of the fried batter was analyzed using a texture analyzer (TA) with a Kramer shear cell. The pasting viscosity profile of the starch-flour mixtures (7% solids in water) was also measured with a Rapid Visco Analyser. When the native corn starches of different amylose contents were compared, the crispness (peak number before breakage) and hardness (maximum peak force) measured using the instrument were positively correlated with the amylose content in starches but negatively correlated with the residual moisture content of the fried batters. The peak viscosity and breakdown in viscosity profiles of the starch-flour mixtures were also negatively correlated with crispness. The use of high-amylose corn starch was effective not only in increasing the crispness, but also in reducing the oil uptake. However, the fried batter containing high-amylose starch was denser and harder than the batter containing normal starch. Among the modified starches tested, oxidized (0.4% active Cl₂) and cross-linked (4% 99:1 mixture of STMP and STPP) starches showed improvements in the overall properties of the fried batters. With excessive oxidizations (>0.4% Cl₂), however, the crispness was reduced.     

Properties of Starch Noodles as Affected by Sweetpotato Genotype

Starch was extracted from 14 sweetpotato genotypes from the Philippines. The Rapid Visco-Analyzer (RVA) viscoamylographs of the starches showed Type A pasting curves, characterized by a high pasting peak followed by a high degree of shear-thinning. The major difference among genotypes was in the sharpness of the peak, with some showing a very sharp peak while others showed a broad peak. This difference was related to time from onset of pasting to peak viscosity, and to stability ratio (holding viscosity/peak viscosity), which were also highly correlated (r = 0.84, P < 0.01) to each other. Stability ratio was also correlated to noodle firmness (r = 0.95, P < 0.01), rehydration (cooked weight) (r = -0.89, P < 0.01), and swelling volume of the starch (r = -0.62, P < 0.05). The amylose content was correlated significantly only to peak viscosity (r = -0.84, P < 0.01). Significant differences in texture and cooking quality of the starch noodles produced from the different genotypes was found. It was shown that the RVA viscoamylographs could be used to detect differences in pasting characteristics of sweetpotato starch which are related to quality of noodle produced.     

Sources of Variation for Starch Gelatinization,Pasting, and Gelation Properties in Wheat

The starch of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flour affects food product quality due to the temperature-dependent interactions of starch with water during gelatinization, pasting, and gelation. The objective of this study was to determine the fundamental basis of variation in gelatinization, pasting, and gelation of prime starch derived from seven different wheat cultivars: Kanto 107, which is a partial waxy mutant line, and six near-isogenic lines (NILs) differing in hardness. Complete pasting curves with extended 16-min hold at 93°C were obtained using the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). Apparent amylose content ranged from 17.5 to 23.5%; total amylose content ranged from 22.8 to 28.2%. Starches exhibited significant variation in onset of gelatinization. However, none of the parameters measured consistently correlated with onset or other RVA curve parameters that preceded peak paste viscosity. Peak paste viscosity varied from 190 to 323 RVA units (RVU). Higher peak, greater breakdown, lower final viscosity, negative setback, and less total setback were associated with lower apparent and total amylose contents. Each 1% reduction in apparent or total amylose content corresponded to an increase in peak viscosity of about 22 and 25 RVU, respectively, at 12% starch concentration. Of the seven U.S. cultivars, the lower amylose cultivars Penawawa and Klasic were missing the granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS; ADPglucose starch glycosyl transferase, EC 2.4.4.21) protein associated with the Waxy gene locus on chromosome 4A (Wx-B1 locus). Kanto 107 was confirmed as missing both the 7A and 4A waxy proteins (Wx-A1 and Wx-B1 loci). The hardness NIL also were shown to be null at the 4A locus. Apparent and total amylose contents of prime starch generally corresponded well to the number of GBSS proteins; although the hardness NIL tended to have somewhat higher amylose contents than did the other GBSS 4A nulls. We concluded that reduced quantity of starch amylose due to decreased GBSS profoundly affects starch gelatinization, pasting, and gelation properties.