对于许多应用,小颗粒淀粉(SGS)具有优于常规大小的淀粉的技术优势。该研究比较了三种SGS的颗粒特征(来自a菜，藜麦,和芋）与玉米和马铃薯淀粉一起使用，并揭示了它们的分子基础。结果表明，淀粉颗粒的超分子结构与颗粒大小不一定相关。由于其粒径小，而且超分子结构的缺陷，因此，a菜和藜麦淀粉的酸水解速度快。a菜和藜麦支链淀粉的外部和内部链长度较短。相比之下,香芋淀粉颗粒的颗粒状结构更稳定，部分原因是香芋支链淀粉的外链长度较长。支链淀粉中支链淀粉中支链亚基（通过使用解淀粉芽孢杆菌的α-淀粉酶释放）的分子组成的比较表明，a菜和藜麦淀粉在超分子水平上的显着异质降解。
Small-granule starches (SGSs) have technological advantages over starches of conventional sizes for many applications. The
study compared the granular characteristics of three SGSs (from amaranth, quinoa, and taro) with those of maize and potato starches and revealed their molecular basis. The results indicated that the supramolecular architecture of starch granules was not necessarily correlated with granule size. Acid hydrolysis of amaranth and quinoa starches was fast due to not only their small granule sizes but also the defects in the supramolecular structure, to which short external and internal chain lengths of amaranth and quinoa amylopectins contributed. By comparison, the granular architecture of taro starch granules was more stable partly due to the longer external chain length of taro amylopectin. Comparison of the molecular composition of branched subunits (released by using α-amylase of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) in amylopectins and that in lintnerized starches suggested a significant heterogeneous degradation of amaranth and quinoa starches at supramolecular levels.
