Barley starch granules subject to SPLITT cell fractionation and Sd/StFFF size characterization

The coupling of two separation techniques is proposed as a methodology able to fractionate, starch granules of different botanical origins, both on preparative and analytical scale. The split flow thin cell (SPLITT cell) was optimized to produce a binary separation of the starch granules into two different size classes with a 5 mum cutoff point. The size separation was always better than 80%. The Sedimentation Steric Field Flow Fractionation (Sd/StFFF) provides sample particle size distribution (PSD) and is used here to control the SPLITT fractions. The proposed techniques, especially the former, are gentle and easy to use. Both the SPLITT and Sedimentation Fractionation results were checked by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The procedure was originally applied to two samples from barley. The bimodal diameters were computed.