How environmental stress affects starch composition and functionality in cereal endosperm

Abstract

Stressful environments can alter starch biosynthesis in cereal endosperm. The aim of this review is to carefully examine how starch functional properties are altered when plants encounter environmental parameters outside of the normal range. This is important because while growers and processors require grain yield stability and product uniformity this will be challenging in an era of variable weather patterns. Being able to predict the general physico‐chemical nature of the starch as a result of growth status is a step towards the “precise” agriculture required for the 21st century. Variations in soil moisture and nutrient availability, ambient temperature, and atmospheric composition were all shown to affect starch functionality. Elevated temperature led to the most significant changes in both tropical and temperate cereals and amylose content was the most sensitive parameter under various environmental conditions. Genotypic variation appears to be a primary contributor for the response of cereal starches to environmental stress. Nonetheless, while a large amount of data from single controlled environmental stress experiment is currently available, comparably little is known about whether similar results would be achieved in multifactorial and large‐scale settings. The challenges in terms of the need for more detailed experimental descriptions to lessen the study‐to‐study discrepancies of data and to enhance their interpretability were also discussed.

Archaeological Starch

“…The natural variability of native starch morphology is due to the diversity in the multiple genes that encode the enzymes of the biosynthetic pathway, as reviewed elsewhere in this special issue [8]. The expression of these genes during plant growth is affected by variable interactions between plant developmental and environmental control signals [9,10]. Differences in morphology have been used by archaeologists to assign a botanical source to starch granules.…”

Protein and starch characteristics of milled rice from different cultivars affected by transplantation date

“…difference in amylose content, amylopectin structure and protein content (Suwansri and Meullenet 2004). Variations in soil moisture and nutrient availability, ambient temperature, and atmospheric composition also affected starch functionality (Beckles and Thitisaksakul 2014). Elevated temperature led to the most significant changes in cereals and amylose content was reported to be most sensitive parameter under changing environmental conditions.…”

Effects of Timing and Severity of Salinity Stress on Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Yield, Grain Composition, and Starch Functionality

“…9,20 The results are increased floret sterility, increased percentage of partially filled and unfilled grain, and lower yield. 3,8,17,22,23 Because of the multiplicity of factors that determine plant response to salinity the outcome may not always be predictable.Rice growth environment also strongly dictates grain postharvest attributes since the grain is consumed whole with minimal processing. 3,24,25 Starch is the main grain reserve in rice accumulating up to 50−90% of dry weight with protein contributing 5−12% to the total.…”

“…3,8,17,22,23 Because of the multiplicity of factors that determine plant response to salinity the outcome may not always be predictable.…”