Zero-waste management is crucial for sustainable food systems, promoting the use of agricultural by-products like rice bran. Rich in bioactive polyphenols with antioxidant and antidiabetic properties, rice bran can enhance the nutritional value of food.

• Mechanism: Polyphenols can slow starch digestion by forming complexes with starch, making them useful for creating low-glycemic foods.
• Methodology: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of combining ultrasonication and freeze-thaw treatments on the interaction between rice starch and red rice bran polyphenols.
• Findings: The dual treatment increased the complexing index, altered functional properties, and affected granule morphology.
• Impact: Structural analysis indicated non-covalent interactions forming non-V-type complexes. Additionally, starch digestibility was reduced, lowering the estimated glycemic index (eGI) compared to the control. These findings suggest a sustainable and green approach to starch modification, with potential for developing functional food products and advancing zero-waste processing.