Determination of the botanical origin of starch using direct potentiometry and PCA

A new approach for the determination of the botanical origin of starch is presented based on the formation of starch–triiodide complexes. The starch samples were extracted from wheat (Srpanjka), potato, maize, rye (Barun), barley (Conduct), rice, tapioca and a commercial modified starch. The amylose/amylopectin ratios of starches, among various other properties, differ between starches of different botanical origins. Triiodide ions bind characteristically to the amylose and amylopectin of the starch depending on the starchʹs origin. The new technique includes direct potentiometric measurements of the response of free triiodide ions in starch–triiodide solutions where the data is analysed by principal component analysis (PCA). PCA gave graphical results for statistical differentiation between starches of different botanical origins.