Abstract
Corn, rice, wheat and potato are the main sources of starches which differ significantly in composition, morphology, thermal, rheological and retrogradation properties. Cereal starches contain a significant quantity of phospholipids, while potato starch is rich in esterified phosphorus. Potato starch exhibits higher swelling power, solubility, paste clarity and viscosity than wheat, rice or corn starches. Morphological characteristics, such as shape and size of the starch granules, exhibit significant differences. Potato starch granules are smooth–surfaced, oval and irregular or cuboidal-shaped while corn, rice and wheat starch granules are angular, pentagonal and angular; and spherical and lenticular–shaped, respectively. Corn, rice and wheat starch granules are less smooth–surfaced than potato starch granules. Potato starch granules are largest (