Native potato starch was physically modified by heat-moisture treatment (1WC, 16h, 30% moisture) and defatting (75%. n-propanol water, 7h). The changes in structure and physicochemical properties on heat-moisture treatment and defatting were monitored by scanning eleclron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (OSC), Brabender viscosities, swelling fador (SF) and amylose leaching (AML). SEM showed that neither defatting nor heat-moisture treatment altered the size, shape or the surface appearance of the native starch granule. Heat-moisture treatment decreased Xray diffraction intensities and altered the 'B' type X-ray diffraction pattern to 'A+B'. The clecrease in X-ray intensities on heat-moisture treatment is indicative of aystallite disruption and/or rearrangement of double helices. The gelatinization enthalpy (aH), Brabender viscosity (at 95°C), SF and AML decreased on heat-moisture treatment. whereas gelatinization transition temperatures (GTT), and thermal stability inaeased. Defatting inaeased the Xray diffraction intensities and altered the X-ray pattern from 'B' to 'A+B'. The increased X-ray intensities on defatting is indicative of interactions between amylose -amylose (AM-AM), amylopectin -amylopectin (AMP-AMP) and amylose -amylopectin (AM-AMP) chains. These interactions in tum, increased