Physicochemical properties of monosodium glutamate-compounded tapioca starch exceeds those of simple heat-moisture treated starch.

Monosodium glutamate (GluNa)-compounded starch was prepared by heat-moisture treating a mixture of tapioca starch and GluNa. GluNa-compounded starch exhibited a higher gelatinization temperature and reduced swelling and solubility, essentially lower hardness of the granule center, and paste viscosity than those of the heat-moisture treated tapioca starch and the untreated starch. However, its appearance, unit chain length distribution, and α-amylase digestibility were similar to those of the heat-moisture treated tapioca.

Thermal behavior of potato starch and water-vaporization behavior of its paste controlled with amino acid and peptide-rich food materials.

The particular effect of 4 kinds of amino acid and peptide-rich food material (APRM) containing different charged amino acid contents on the gelatinization and retrogradation behavior of potato starch granules and on the water-vaporization behavior was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, rapid viscoanalysis, x-ray diffractometry, thermal gravimetry-differential thermal analysis, and pulsed NMR. APRM with a high-charged amino acid content produced unique gelatinization and retrogradation behavior in terms of an elevated gelatinization temperature, reduced viscosity, higher setback, and lower retrograded starch melting enthalpy. The recovered x-ray diffraction intensity decreased with increasing charged amino acid content.

Partial replacement of waxy cornstarch by recrystallized amylose retards the development of insulin resistance in rats.

We examined in rats whether or not the prolonged ingestion of recrystallized amylose (RCA) would prevent the development of insulin resistance. Rats were fed on a diet containing waxy cornstarch (WCS) as carbohydrate or a diet containing 30% RCA in place of WCS for 18 wk. Glucose tolerance test (GTT) was conducted at every four weeks.