Paste viscosity of rice starches of different amylose content and carboxymethylcellulose formed by dry heating and the physical properties of their films

Starch modified by combination with sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) has been reported to have improved film properties. In this study, rice starches with different amylose content were heat-treated in a dry state after being impregnated with low or medium-viscosity CMC. Noticeable change was found in pasting properties of the starches after dry heat treatment with CMC. It indicated that crosslinkage occurred between the starch and CMC. The waxy starch showed significant change in viscosity throughout pasting after dry heating with CMC, suggesting that the ester bonds were mostly formed between the hydroxyl groups in amylopectin branches of rice starch and carboxylate acid groups of CMC. Particle size also increased after heat treatment with CMC. The modified starch-based films showed improvement in the tensile strength. Both water vapor and oxygen permeability reduced for the modified starch-based films. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) study showed that the values of G' of modified starch-based film were higher than those of native starch-based film over the temperature range -40 to 60 degrees C. The heating process with CMC could be used as a modification method for starch and provide desirable properties of starch-based films. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.