Scanning Electron Microscopy of Enzyme‐digested Starch Granules

The study deals with comparison of the susceptibility to fungal glucoamylase and salivary α‐amylase of starch granules from navane, panivaragu, black pepper and black gram. The crude glucoamylase was purified by fractionation and column chromatography to give two pure fractions of which one was used. The rate of amylolysis was followed by estimating the amount of glucose and maltose released. The type and extent of damage of the starch granules were observed by scanning electron microscopy which revealed characteristic degradation patterns in navane and panivaragu, whereas black gram granules were resistant to the attack. Very small‐sized black pepper starch granules did not exhibit any obvious signs of amylolytic attack.