Small quantities of lipids accumulate in the white rice grains. These are grouped into non-starch lipid and starch lipid fractions that affect starch properties through association with starch. Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) are two major lipid classes in the two fractions. Using high-oleic rice grains, we investigated the fatty-acid composition in flour and starch by LC-MS and evaluated its impact on starch properties. In the wild-type grain, nearly 50% of fatty acids in LPC and LPE were palmitic acid (C16:0), over 20% linoleic acid (C18:2) and less than 10% oleic acid (C18:1). In the high-oleic rice grain, C18:1 increased at the expense of C18:2 and C16:0. The compositional changes in starch lipids suggest that LPC and LPE are transported to an amyloplast with an origin from endoplasmic reticulum-derived PC and PE during endosperm development. The high-dissociation temperature of the amylose-lipid complex (ALC) and restricted starch swelling power in the high-oleic rice starch indicates that the stability of the ALC involving C18:1 is higher than that of C18:2 and C16:0. This study provides insight into the lipid deposition and starch properties of rice grains with optimized fatty-acid composition.

Ginkgo biloba L. is an important economic tree species in China, and its kernels have been used as a popular food in Asian countries. Herein, the morphology, basic chemical components, starch granule structures, and physicochemical properties of kernel flours from seven ginkgo cultivars were investigated, and their relationships were analyzed. The kernels were oval or spherical in shape, with variable sizes. The starch granules exhibited both regular and irregular Maltese cross patterns. Amylose was mainly distributed in amorphous growth rings. A spatial variation in the 865/942 cm⁻¹ ratio was observed within individual starch granules. Variations in total starch content, apparent amylose content (AAC), crude protein content (CPC), total amino acid content (TAAC), starch fine structure, and thermal and pasting properties were observed among the seven kernel flours. Pearson correlation coefficients and principle component analyses showed that the thermal properties were affected by kernel CPC, TAAC, AAC, and starch fine structure, while the pasting properties were affected by AAC and starch fine structure. Furthermore, experiments showed that the seed protein structure and α-amylase activity affected the pasting properties of ginkgo kernel flours.