Table 1.

Characteristics of starch-related carbohydrates

Carbohydrate	Description
Amylose	A starch polymer comprised of α(1,4)-linked glucose. The α(1,4) glycosidic linkage creates a helical conformation in   solution and in the starch granule. Amylose helices can pack together creating insoluble crystalline regions within a   starch granule
Amylopectin	The branched starch molecule differentiates itself from amylose by containing α(1,6)-linkage branch points along the   α(1,4)-linked glucose backbone. These branches prevent the tight packing of neighboring helices resulting in   amorphous regions within the starch granule and enhanced solubility
Maltooligosaccharides	Oligosaccharides of starch that are typically generated by amylolytic enzymes operating on the full-length   polysaccharide. Purified oligosaccharides of known length allow for the more precise study of protein-carbohydrate-   binding and activity
Pullulan	A linear starch-like polysaccharide containing repeating units of α(1,6)-linked maltotriose. The α(1,6)-linkages may   mimic branch points in amylopectin and is sometimes used to determine an enzyme’s tolerance or activity towards   those branch points
Cyclodextrins	Cyclic oligosaccharides of α(1,4)-linked glucose that mimic the curvature of a starch helix. The extent of this curvature,   and similarly the molecule’s constrained geometry, decreases as the number of glucoses in the oligosaccharide   increases. Most commonly used cyclodextrins include α-cyclodextrin and β-cyclodextrin that contain six and seven   glucose residues, respectively, because of their similarity to the curvature of a starch helix
Resistant starch (RS)	Starch that is impervious to degradation by human dietary amylases due to inaccessibility, crystallinity, chemical   modifications, or complex formation with lipids. RS becomes available to colonic microorganisms that are either   equipped with the molecular machinery to degrade RS themselves or are available to crossfeed from RS-degrading   organisms