Amylolysis of maize mutant starches described with a fractal-like kinetics model.

•A simple test can tell if amylolysis data follow standard first-order kinetics.•Amylolysis reaction rate is not constant over time for 10 maize starches out of 13.•A first-order rate equation including a fractal exponent fits data for all starches.•The three model parameters capture all important aspects of the kinetic curves.•Model parameters can be related to some structural properties of starch granule.