Varietal differences in the effect of rice ageing on starch digestion

The purpose of this study was to provide, for the first time, a comprehensive account of the potential effects of storage (37 °C)on physicochemical properties and digestion behaviour of three highly consumed Iranian rice varieties (Hashemi, Domsiyah and Gohar). After ageing, the content of thiol groups was significantly reduced only in the case of Hashemi. The ageing process did not significantly change the rate and extent of starch digestion in Gohar and Domsiyah, but a clear reduction was observed in Hashemi. The results suggested that the changes in peptide subunit composition contribute to the potential efficiency of ageing for controlling rice digestion behaviour. This study suggests that varietal differences may play a major role in the effectiveness of ageing in modifying rice physicochemical properties and starch digestion dynamics. The results also indicated that starch digestibility didn't follow amylose content level and suggests the importance of other components on rice digestibility.