What happens to starch when it is browned?

[Xier]

I know that it undergoes the Maillard reaction and caramelization, but do not properly understand what these processes change the polysaccharides into. How is it different from what happens to monosaccharide glucose?

Thank you to anyone that offers assistance.

 

[ajdelange]

The Maillard reaction is between any amino acid and any reducing sugar. The range of compounds formed is bewilderingly large and the details of the chemistry bewilderingly complex. As starch is chain of glucose molecules and glucose is a reducing sugar the answer is that the results are the same assuming that the chain is broken down to release glucose. Some of the details are illustrated at http://sciencegeist.net/the-maillard-reaction/. Can the reaction take place between the reducing end of a starch molecule and an amino group? I don't know but that would lead to another whole set of additional products.