Structural and physicochemical properties of enzymatically modified rice starch as influenced by the degree of enzyme treatment

Abstract

The structure and physicochemical properties of rice starch modified with 4-α-glucanotransferase (4αGTase) were compared for different enzyme treatment times (1, 24, and 96 h). Specifically, the gelation properties of native rice starch and 4αGTase-treated rice starch (GS) were analyzed regarding their structural characteristics. The average molecular weight of GS decreased with increasing treatment time, and was 4.73 × 104 g/mol after 96 h of treatment. The chain length distribution was also broadened with the enzyme treatment, as 4αGTase transferred α-glucan from one chain to another. The enzyme treatment also altered the gelation properties and decreased the viscosity of the starch depending on the treatment time, perhaps due to the changes in molecular weight distribution and branched chain length distribution. Moreover, the overall characteristics of GS differed significantly from those of maltodextrin. The physicochemical characteristics of GS with different degrees of 4αGTase treatment suggest that it can be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.