Effects of pH and Gamma Irradiation on the Physicochemical Properties of Corn Starch

To develop a production method for modified starches with less pollution, pH adjustment and gamma irradiation were applied to commerical corn starch. Blue values were significantly decreased , while alkali number, optical transmittance and solubility markedly increased when gamma irradiation was applied to pH 2 adjusted corn starch. Water binding capacity and swelling power at pH 5 were the highest among the samples. Gelatinization viscosity was considerably affected by gamma irradiation and pH of the starch. Gamma irradiation of pH 2 adjusted starch showed the lowest peak viscosity and the best cooling stability among the tested samples . Therefore, the production of modified starch with low viscosity as well as with sufficient viscosity stability seems feasible by controlling the pH of the starch and gamma irrdiation.