Starch makes up the nutritive reserves of many plants. The major of resources for starch production are wheat, Corn, potatoes & rice . During the growing season, the green leaves collect energy from the sun. This energy is transported as a sugar solution to the starch storage cells, and the sugar is converted to starch in the form of tiny granules occupying most of the cell interior .

The conversion of sugar to starch takes place by means of enzymes . Then, the following spring, enzymes are also responsible for the re-conversion of starch to sugar - released from the seed as energy for the growing plant .

Starch is a mixture of amylose and amylopectin. These are both complex carbohydrate polymers of glucose (chemical formula of glucose C6H12O6 ). Starch is used in cooking for thickening foods such as sauces. In industry, it is used in the manufacturing of adhesives, paper , textiles and as a mold in the manufacture of sweets .

Amylose The smaller of the two polysaccharides which make up starch, amylase is a linear molecule comprising of (1-4) linked alpha-D-glucopyranosyl units. There is a small degree of branching by (1-6) alpha linkages .

Amylopectin The larger of the two components, amylopectin is highly branched with a much greater molecular weight . This structure contains alpha-D-glucopyranosyl units linked mainly by (4-1) linkages (as amylose) but with a greater proportion of (1-6 ) linkages, which gives a large highly branched structure .