Starch transitions of different gluten free flour doughs determined by dynamic thermal mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry.

Gluten-free flour doughs (three from different maize varieties and one from chestnut fruit) processed at the same consistency level (1.10 ± 0.07 N m) with different water absorption were used to determine the starch transitions by means of two different experimental techniques, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic thermal mechanical analysis (DMTA). The ranges of temperatures of gelatinization (G), amylopectin melting (M1), amylose-lipid complexes melting (M2) and amylose melting (M3) for all tested flour doughs were determined by both experimental techniques with acceptable agreement between them. The starch transitions in DMTA were determined by means of the elastic modulus (G, M1 and M2) or damping factor (G, M3) evolution with temperature. The temperatures and enthalpies of the transitions depended on water content, the nature and characteristics (mainly damaged starch) of the starch and the presence of other compounds (mainly lipid and sugars) in the flour doughs.