Rheological and thermal properties of rice starch and rutin mixtures

Polyphenols have great potential health benefits to human. Functional foods and nutraceuticals incorporated with polyphenols in starchy matrix remain scarce. In this study, rheological and thermal properties of rice starches with different amylose content (1.6 to 32%) in the presence of rutin at various levels were characterized. For the flow behaviors modeled by the Herschel-Bulkley equation, rutin addition at certain levels increased yield stress and consistency coefficient, and decreased flow behavior index of starches. Addition of rutin greatly altered the viscoelasticity of starches as revealed by dynamic oscillation analysis. Rutin had little influence on the frequency-dependency of starch gels. Addition of rutin up to 50% little altered the major melting of starches but caused an earlier disruption of amylose-lipid inclusion complex. Rutin considerably hindered retrogradation of starches. This study may stimulate further interest in utilizing polyphenols to develop novel starch-based functional foods.

► Rheology and thermal properties of starch and rutin blends were characterized. ► Rutin greatly retarded retrogradation of starch. ► Data provides basis to develop starch-based functional foods rich in polyphenols.