Abstract:

The physical and chemical characteristics of starches from polished germinated rice with the germ left intact, polished fresh rice with the germ left intact and fresh and germinated brown rice were measured and compared in order to investigate the effect of germination on the physical and chemical characteristics of polished germinated rice with the germ left intact. The results showed that the amylose content of polished germinated rice with the germ left intact was lower than that of polished fresh rice with the germ left intact. However, higher swelling power, solubility and transmittance were observed for polished germinated rice with the germ left intact, and its freezing-thawing stability was also better. In addition, polished germinated rice with the germ left intact exhibited lower peak viscosity and breakdown but higher final viscosity, setback viscosity and consistency viscosity. Furthermore, the storage modulus of polished germinated rice with the germ left intact was always the lowest during heating among the four starches tested mainly due to its lowest amylose content.

Key words: polished germinated rice with the germ left intact, physical and chemical properties, amylose, viscosity, storage modulus