The study presents characteristics of selected physical properties of oat grain subjected to varying hydrothermal treatment (water, 2% solution of NaCl or 2% solution of gelatin; temperature: 60, 70, 80 or 100°C; time period: 30, 60, 90 or 120 min). The water binding capacity and resistance of oat grain to mechanical stress was studied. Hydrothermal treatment of oat grain causes changes in the physico-chemical properties depending on its parameters (type of solution, duration of the process, processing temperature). It was found that all the above mentioned parameters modify the mechanical resistance of grain. A positive correlation between the treatment temperature as well as hydration (0.70), and also the duration of the hydrothermal treatment (90.34) and grain hydration, was observed. Negative correlation coefficients were found between deformation forces and temperature (–0.42), treatment duration time (–0.37) and grain hydration (–0.65). A non-linear estimation of the relation between deformation forces and hydration and regression analysis, taking into consideration the parameters of hydrothermal treatment, was carried out and high determination coefficients (maximum 0.9) were obtained.

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