When starch is heated in excess water, the crystalline
structure is disrupted due to the breakage of hydrogen
bonds, water molecules become linked by hydrogen
bonding to the exposed hydroxyl groups of amylose and
amylopectin [1], and substantial swelling occurs, together
with melting of crystallites, loss of birefringence and
leaching out of polysaccharides, predominantly amylose,
from the starch granule [2]. The leaching out of amylose
and amylopectin molecules has been found to be highly
linked to the swelling of the starch granules [3], and both
the swelling of starch and the leaching of amylose have
been related to the pasting and rheological properties of
starch solutions during heating [4, 5].