Structural changes of starch under different milling degrees affect the cooking and textural properties of rice

A long-term consumption of white rice increases the risk of T2D. Finding an appropriate milling degree (MD) of rice balancing nutrition and palatability benefits public health. This study investigated effects of MD-0 s, 5 s, 60 s on morphological, cooking and textural properties of rice. Texture profile analysis showed that milling decreased hardness, while increased adhesiveness of rice. SEM images showed that milling induced notches and structural damage, which facilitated gelatinization of rice determined by DSC. Leached starch was further analyzed by size exclusion chromatography and chain-length distribution. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that milling induced more leached shot-chain amylose and long-chain amylopectin, which decreased hardness and increased adhesiveness of cooked rice. Collectively, milling-induced changes of starch gelatinization and fine structure of leached starch were decisive factors of rice texture. Moderate processing improved the texture of brown rice and maintained nutrients. This would provide guidance for the health industry of whole grains.