The effect of heat-moisture treatment and cross-linking on the physicochemical properties and digestibility of whole rice grains.

Hyperglycemia is a condition of high blood glucose levels which can increase the risk of diabetes. One alternative solution to prevent hyperglycemia is modifying starch molecule in rice which is consumed daily by most Indonesian people. To modify rice digestibility, dual modification by heat-moisture treatment (HMT) and cross-linking (CL) was conducted on whole rice grains. Modification must be conducted on whole rice grains so that it can be consumed in the form of rice. Sodium trimetaphosphate was chosen as cross-linking reagent since it is safe to be consumed. Dual modification was carried out in two treatment sequences: HMT-CL and CL-HMT. Based on the measured phosphorus content and the decrease in relative crystallinity, starch in whole rice grains was successfully modified. The modified starch had lower swelling power, solubility, and digestibility compared to the native starch. HMT-CL modified rice showed lower digestibility than CL-HMT modified rice. Therefore, starch modifications could be conducted on whole rice grains to alter its physicochemical properties and digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]