Structure-viscosity relationships for starches from different rice varieties during heating

The effects of starch particle size and leached amylose on the viscosity of rice starch dispersions and changes of short-range structure and amylose content in starch granules of different rice varieties during heating were investigated. It was found that starch granule swelling increased rice starch dispersion viscosity during heating. The viscosities of the starch dispersions during heating were principally dependent on granular volume fraction and independent of starch variety. A distinct correlation between the amount of leached amylose and swelling of starch granules was also found. High initial amylose concentrations in starch granules reduced swelling during heating, thereby reducing rice dispersion viscosities. Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy indicated that the loss of short-range order was significant when the temperature reached the pasting onset temperature. The short-range order of waxy and medium grain rice starches was higher than that of long grain rice starches before gelatinization. The loss of order of waxy and medium grain rice starches was greater than that of long grain rice starches during heating, which was due to the presence of amylose, restraining the swelling and disruption of starch granules during heating.