In my textbook it was written that amylose is more water soluble than amylopectin. But as I searched for the reason I found a totally opposite information. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ed052p729 Do you know which is really true? Or this problem is more complex than I imagine?
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$\begingroup$ Check quite detailed respective Wikipedia pages, eventually their references. Amylopectin reportedly seams more soluble, being loosely packed with less hydrogen bond linking, in spite of having larger and branched molecules. $\endgroup$– PoutnikCommented Oct 31, 2022 at 6:56
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$\begingroup$ Thank you for your comment. It seems many textbooks are making mistakes. $\endgroup$– satoru kuritaCommented Oct 31, 2022 at 12:07
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1$\begingroup$ Always search for more sources when 2 different statements clash. $\endgroup$– PoutnikCommented Oct 31, 2022 at 12:12
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1 Answer
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Both amylose and amylopectin are high molecular weight glucose polymers found in plants.
Both are insoluble in cold water, but can be made soluble through a process known as starch gelatinization, which is essentially a cooking process.
Some of the confusion may arise from the fact that amylose is straight chained and amylopectin is more branched. The tight helical structure of amylose may require more extreme treatment to fully hydrate it, but then it has a higher degree of solubility than amylopectin.
As gelatinization techniques vary, further study of potential applications of both types of starch may help clarify which one is more desirable.
answered Nov 1, 2022 at 0:43
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$\begingroup$ Thank you for your answer sir. Could you explain the definition of solubility in your answer? $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 1, 2022 at 2:36
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$\begingroup$ @satorukurita that really is the crux of the issue. Very large polymers are not the same as simple salts. These "gels" exist somewhere in between, depending on conditions such as temperature and whether or not they have been hydrolyzed. They are used as thickeners in cooking. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 1, 2022 at 2:47