Branched starches and branched starch hydrolyzates

Abstract

The present invention provides a starch that includes at least one glucose polymer having greater than 4% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages. The present invention further provides a starch hydrolyzate that includes at least one glucose oligomer having greater than 4% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages. The starch and starch hydrolyzate present invention have improved aqueous solution stability and are less likely to retrograde than are solutions of unbranched linear starches or starch hydrolyzates. The present invention further provides a method of improving the aqueous solution stability of a starch or a hydrolyzate thereof, which method includes introducing one or more alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages so as to branch one or more of the linear polysaccharides or hydrolyzates thereof. The method of the present invention also includes a method of improving the aqueous solution stability of amylose and amylose hydrolyzates by introducing one or more alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages so as to branch one or more molecules of amylose or hydrolyzate thereof.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A starch comprising at least one glucose polymer having greater than 4% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         2 . The starch of  claim 1 , comprising a glucose polymer having greater than about 5% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         3 . The starch of  claim 1 , comprising a glucose polymer having greater than about 6% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         4 . The starch of  claim 1 , comprising a glucose polymer having greater than about 7% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         5 . A starch hydrolyzate comprising at least one glucose oligomer having greater than 4% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         6 . The starch hydrolyzate of  claim 5 , comprising a glucose oligomer having greater than about 5% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         7 . The starch hydrolyzate of  claim 5 , comprising a glucose oligomer having greater than about 6% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         8 . The starch hydrolyzate of  claim 5 , comprising a glucose oligomer having greater than about 7% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         9 . A stable aqueous solution comprising the starch of  claim 1 , wherein said starch comprises one or more amylose molecules that are branched by one or more alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         10 . The solution of  claim 9 , wherein said amylose in said solution contains at least about 4% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         11 . The solution of  claim 9 , wherein said amylose in said solution contains at least about 5% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         12 . The solution of  claim 9 , wherein said amylose in said solution contains at least about 6% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         13 . The solution of  claim 9 , wherein said amylose in said solution contains at least about 7% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         14 . A stable aqueous solution comprising the starch hydrolyzate of  claim 5 , wherein said starch hydrolyzate comprises one or more amylose hydrolyzate molecules that are branched by one or more alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         15 . The solution of  claim 14 , wherein said amylose hydrolyzate in said solution contains at least about 4% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         16 . The solution of  claim 14 , wherein said amylose hydrolyzate in said solution contains at least about 5% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         17 . The solution of  claim 14 , wherein said amylose hydrolyzate in said solution contains at least about 6% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         18 . The solution of  claim 14 , wherein said amylose hydrolyzate in said solution contains at least about 7% alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages.  
     
     
         19 . A method of improving the aqueous solution stability of a starch that contains amylose molecules, said method comprising introducing one or more alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages so as to branch one or more of said amylose molecules in said starch.  
     
     
         20 . A method of improving the aqueous solution stability of a starch hydrolyzate that contains amylose hydrolyzate molecules, said method comprising introducing one or more alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages so as to branch one or more of said amylose hydrolyzate molecules in said starch hydrolyzate.  
     
     
         21 . A method of improving the aqueous solution stability of amylose, said method comprising introducing one or more alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages so as to branch one or more molecules of said amylose.  
     
     
         22 . A method of improving the aqueous solution stability of an amylose hydrolyzate, said method comprising introducing one or more alpha 1-6 glycosidic linkages so as to branch one or more molecules of said amylose hydrolyzate.