Starch is arguably one of the most actively investigated biopolymer in the world. In this study, the native (untreated) cassava starch granules (Manihot esculenta, crantz) were hydrolyzed by standard hydrochloric acid solution at different temperatures (30 degrees C and 50 degrees C) and the hydrolytic transformations were investigated by the following techniques: simultaneous thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) powder patterns, and rapid viscoamylographic analysis (RVA). After the treatment with hydrochloric acid at different temperatures, the thermal stability, a gradual loss of pasting properties (viscosity), alterations in the gelatinization enthalpy (Delta H-gel), were observed. The use of NC-AFM and XRD allowed the observation of the surface morphology and topography of the starch granules and changes in crystallinity of the granules, respectively. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.