Abstract:

The effects of NaCl, sucrose and pH on gelatinization characteristics of millet starch and flour were evaluated
by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and SPSS software in the present study. The results showed that under
the same conditions, the gelatinization temperature (including initial gelatinization temperature T0, peak gelatinization
temperature Tp and pasting termination temperature Tc) of millet starch was (2.65 ± 0.87) ℃ lower than that of millet flour;
the gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) was (2.51 ± 0.32) J/g higher than that of millet flour; the gelatinization temperature of both
millet starch and millet flour with the addition of NaCl was (4.30 ± 1.24) ℃ higher than that of those with the addition of
sucrose. Acidic conditions could inhibit starch gelatinization, whereas alkaline conditions could accelerate this process.

Key words: millet starch, millet flour, gelatinization characteristics, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC)