Structural Changes of Starch Molecules in Barley Grains During Germination

ABSTRACT The germination of barley grains is an important step in malt production for beer brewing. This study examines the changes in starch molecular structure in barley grains under optimal conditions for sprouting. Two barley varieties were tested: Schooner and Grimmett, which are low and moderate dormancy grains, with >90 and 0.05). The starch chain-length distributions, analyzed from enzymatically debranched starch molecules with size-exclusion chromatography, indicated that the shorter amylopectin branches of Schooner were degraded at a faster rate than its longer amylopectin branches, which was also confirmed by the decreasing degree of branching with germi...