DUALSTAGE MODIFICATION OF STARCH EXTRACTED FROM HUNGRY RICE (Digitaria Exilis): SOAKING PRETREATMENT AND CITRIC ACID LINTNERIZATION EFFICACIES

Digitaria Exilis (Hungry rice) starch is an important promising functional ingredient in food and industrial systems, yet its native form often displays limitations in thermal stability, solubility, and processing performance. Lintnerization, a controlled acid hydrolysis technique, is widely applied to enhance starch functionality; however, the role of pretreatment prior to hydrolysis remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effect of soaking pretreatment on the citric acid modification of hungry rice (Digitaria Exilis). The modified starches were analyzed for swelling power, solubility, water holding capacity, paste clarity and the degree of substitution of the lintnerized starch and the characterization of the crude and modified starches were carried out using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scan electron microscope (SEM) and Energy dispersion microscope (EDX). Results revealed that pretreatment significantly influenced the degree of substitution, granule morphology, and overall functional properties of the resulting lintnerized starches. Variations were observed in the hydration properties, paste behavior and morphology. indicating that soaking alters granular structure interactions prior to acid modification. This study demonstrate that soaking can be used to tailor the properties of hungry rice starch for specific food and industrial uses. This study provides valuable insights needed to optimize starch modification techniques and expand the commercial utilization of hungry rice starch.