Synthesis of Novel Starches in Planta Opportunities and Challenges
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English Slovak |
| ISSN: | ISSN 0038-9056 |
| Online Access: | http://www.viks.sk/chk/star_3_4_03_107_120.doc |
| Abstract: | Summaries. In addition to being the main source of energy in the human diet, starch is also used for a wide variety of industrial processes. Potato, maize, wheat and cassava are the major sources for industrial starch. While there are significant species-dependent differences among these starches, in most cases it is necessary to chemically or physically modify the starches in order to meet the various industrial needs. The advent of molecular biology and genetic engineering has provided the requisite technologies to produce starches in planta with improved properties, which may reduce or eliminate the need for in vitro starch modification. In the last decade significant progress in our understanding of starch biosynthesis has been achieved through the use of these technologies. In this review, starch structure, functionality and use in industry are discussed. The recent discoveries in the area of starch biosynthesis are reviewed and several potential plant breeding and/or genetic engineering strategies for the modification of starch synthesis in planta are presented. Conclusion. Starch is currently used in a wide range of different products and the list of starch uses is expected to increase. At present, the versatility of starch for these industrial purposes is achieved largely through chemical or physical modification of the starch. In the future, it will be possible to alter starch synthesis in planta to produce improved starches, which may reduce or eliminate the need for post-harvest modification. Such starches would benefit industry by reducing processing costs, and the environment by reducing the need for the chemical treatments. There are numerous reports of in planta starch modification in the literature that have increased our knowledge of starch biosynthesis. It is hoped that some novel, economically valuable starches will be produced in the near future through further investigations that modify starch synthesis in planta. In most cases however, the value of these investigations will be in the development of well-defined links between the genes controlling starch biosynthesis, the chemical composition of the starch, the association of all the components of starch within the granules and the physicochemical properties the starch. Once these links have been established the production of tailor-made starches for specific industrial needs will become a realistic possibility. |
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| ISSN: | ISSN 0038-9056 |
