Crystal Structures of Amylose and Its Derivatives

Amylose, a linear, high molecular weight (1→4)-α-D-glucan, is one of the principal polysaccharides of starch. Because of the longstanding utility of starch as a raw material, and its widespread botanical availability, its structure and properties have been studied for centuries. Since the more recent realization that almost all varieties of starch are composed of two polysaccharides - the linear amylose and the branched amylopectin - a significant share of interest has shifted to the study of these components. Of particular interest has been the observation that both components occur naturally in crystalline form in the starch granule. Structural studies of amylose have, in turn, revealed a wide range of crystalline polymorphy, both in chain conformation and in crystalline packing. An example is the group of V-amyloses that exist as complexes with small organic molecules, water, or iodine. The latter complex is particularly interesting because it displays an intense blue color.