Scientific Publications
A simple and effective method for observing starch in whole plant cells and in raw and processed food ingredients
Starch-Starke
A method is described which uses cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid (CDTA) to produce numerous separated whole cells from plant tissue. CDTA chelates divalent cations which cross-link the pectic polysaccharides of the middle lamella, allowing gentle separation of the cells without harsh physical treatments. These individual cells are ideal for observing starch granules in situ by microscopy without the requirement for fixation, embedding, sectioning or prior starch extraction. Starch can easily be observed either unstained, or by polarising optics, or after staining with iodine/potassium iodide. Staining with iodine/potassium iodide in combination with polarising optics gives information on polarising colours which indicate compositional differences within granules. Examples of the starch complement in developing, mature and cooked rr wrinkled pea cells, and in banana and potato tissue are shown. The CDTA-separation method is ideal for the survey of starch mutants and other cell components, as it preserves cytoplasmic organisation and prevents microbial degradation during storage.
Starch-Starke
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