Potential use of Raman spectroscopy for determination of amylose content in maize starch

An analytical method using Raman spectroscopy was developed for the determination of amylose concentration in maize starches. FT-Raman spectra of four maize starches with amylose content varying from 3.3 to 66% were obtained. A Raman band at approximate to 1657 cm(-1) correlated linearly with amylose concentration in the four maize starches, and a calibration curve for Roman band intensity versus amylose content was developed. The linear correlation of the I-1657/I-900 integrated areas with amylose content was r = 0.997. The Raman-based calibration curve allows fast and nondestructive determination of the amylose content in maize starches with minimal sample preparation.