Effect of gamma rays on starch extracted from irradiated wheat flour

Abstract Irradiated starch was more retrograded than the unirradiated samples. The amylose fractions were increased on the expence of the amylopectin fractions of starch under the influence of gamma rays. Oxidation of starch with periodate ions was enhanced by gamma irradiation as indicated by the formation of greater amounts of formic acid in the irradiated samples. This result indicated that destruction in amylopectin had occured and formed small branched fragments. The decrease in intrinsic viscosity due to radiation, showed a straight line relation, when plotted versus irradiation doses, with a slope of 5.2 × 10 −7 . This indicates that a specific slope could be obtained which characterized gamma ray doses on wheat flour.