Which component of starch is water-soluble?

Hello,
My textbook says that amylose isn't soluble in cold water and amylopectin is soluble in cold water (and that glycogen, which is similar to amylopectin, is also soluble). Wikipedia says amylose is the soluble one and amylopectin isn't soluble.

What is the truth and why are there disputes?

Reply 1

lordaxil

The Wikipedia page for amylopectin is misleading. Amylose is in fact insoluble unless partially degraded via hot water treatment, as correctly noted on the Wikipedia page for amylose (and the linked reference [1]). Coversely, amylopectin which has not been degraded is readily soluble in cold water. The discussion in that reference [1] nicely summarises the reasons for the confusion.

Reply 2

agent_duck343

ngl why are u even using wikipedia and trusting it

Reply 3

vokler

Original post by The Vagrant

The main idea is that amylose is generally considered insoluble in cold water, while amylopectin is mostly insoluble. However, there may be some variations based on factors such as the source of the starch and the experimental conditions, which can lead to disputes or conflicting information.