Underlying reasons for waxy rice flours having different pasting properties

The underlying reasons for three waxy rice varieties, Yang-fu-nuo (Y), Su-yu-nuo (S), and Guang-ling-xiang-nuo (G), having different flour pasting properties were examined. The pasting properties of the isolated waxy rice starches did not correlate with those of the corresponding waxy rice flours. Examining the pasting properties of the flours in 0.5 mM AgNO₃ solution, treated with dithiothreitol and protease, suggested that rice protein and amylase activity were the main causes of the pasting property differences among the rice starches and flours. Starch isolated from Y flour had a larger proportion of A and B₁ chains, longer average chain length and longer exterior chain length, which explained its higher gelatinisation temperature, higher pasting consistency, greater extent of retrogradation, and the firm texture of cooked Y rice.