Effect of hydrothermal modifications on properties and digestibility of grass pea starch

This study aimed to investigate functional and thermal properties and digestibility of grass pea starch, and provide information on the effect of hydrothermal modifications - annealing (ANN) and heat-moisture treatment (HMT) on the physico-chemical characteristics of the starch and digestibility, especially after processing (cooking, storage after cooking and freezing). After heat treatment, especially after cooking and storage at a temperature of −18 °C, the total content of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch in grass pea starch was high, which may indicate its great tendency for retrogradation. The HMT and ANN modifications of grass pea starch caused changes in its crystalline structure and increased integrity of its granules, which in turn resulted in a lower swelling power and amylose leaching, however this effect was more pronounced upon HMT which contributed to starch polymorphic type transformation from C to A. Despite greater resistance of granules of modified starches to swelling during cooking their suspensions, after cooking these starches were characterized by a higher predicted glycemic index than the non-modified ones. A similar content of resistant starch determined in modified and non-modified gelatinized starches stored at lowered temperatures indicates that starch modifications, HMT in particular, cause no changes in its susceptibility to retrogradation.