Effect of sulfate and citrate salts on derivatization of amylose and amylopectin during hydroxypropylation of corn starch

Common corn starch was modified in 0.56 M sodium sulfate solution and in 0.31 M potassium citrate solution. It was found that about 1.8 times the amount of reagent (propylene oxide) was needed to get a same molar substitution (MS) when potassium citrate was used. Hydroxypropylated starches were fractionated on a size-exclusion column to separate amylose from amylopectin, and MS values of the whole starch, the amylose, and the amylopectin were determined. In all preparations, amylose was derivatized to a greater extent than was amylopectin. The data indicate that, with common corn starch: (1) the greater the overall derivatization, the greater was the preference for derivatization of amylose; and (2) the preference for amylose derivatization was greater for corn starch modified in potassium citrate solution than in sodium sulfate solution when the MS values for the two preparations were essentially the same.