due to penetration of water molecules into its branched
structure. As mentioned above, long boiling makes it dissolve
in water or in weak acids, as well as in solutions with hydroxides
of potassium, rubidium, cesium, or francium and concentrated
solutions of chloral hydrate. Soluble starch (amylum
solubile) is obtained as a result of long boiling of starch with
water or weak acid; link cleavage at the amylopectin chain
branching sites is then observed, and eventually a watersoluble
product is formed. It is employed as an indicator in
chemical analysis