Abstract:This study investigated the use of steam pre-gelatinization technology to improve the quality of germinated brown rice （GBR） and examined its effects on cooking property， sensory quality， textural property，starch gelatinization， and in vitro digestibility of pre-gelatinization germinated brown rice （PGBR）. The results showed that steam pre-gelatinization treatment had significant effects on cooking properties， sensory quality，textural properties， starch gelatinization， and in vitro digestibility of PGBR. As the moisture content of GBR increased from 29.90% to 34.42%， and steaming time increased from 5 to 15 minutes， the water absorption ratio， expansion ratio， and soluble solids of the cooking liquid of PGBR increased significantly， whereas the pH value， hardness， springiness， chewiness， and gumminess decreased significantly. When the moisture content reached 39.42%， and steaming time was 10 minutes， the sensory score of PGBR peaked at 71.75±4.27， which was significantly higher than that of GBR and brown rice（BR）. Germination treatment markedly reduced the starch viscosity of BR， whereas steam pre-gelatinization treatment improved the starch gelatinization properties of GBR. Germination treatment improved the starch digestibility of BR， whereas steam pre-gelatinization treatment slightly enhanced the starch resistance of GBR. Steam pre-gelatinization treatment changed the cooking properties， textural properties， and gelatinization properties of GBR by affecting the structure of rice bran layer cells， the morphology and crystallinity of starch granules， and the intermolecular forces among starch molecules and their interactions with other molecules， thus improving the edible quality and in vitro digestibility of GBR.