To examine whether the physiologic effects of high amylose cornstarch (HACS) are affected by gelatinization or heat moisture treatment, male rats were fed for 21 d a fiber-free purified diet containing 40 g/100 g gelatinized normal cornstarch (G-CS), HACS, gelatinized high amylose cornstarch (G-HACS) or heat moisture-treated HACS (HMCS). Dietary fiber (DF) content in G-HACS was 87% lower than that in HACS. The apparent starch and protein digestibilities were higher in the G-HACS group than in the HACS group. Fecal wet weight and fecal bile acid excretion were lower in the G-HACS group than in the HACS group. The cecal tissue weight, cecal surface area, cecal content weight and cecal pH were lower in the G-HACS group than in the HACS group. The cecal n-butyric acid and succinic acid concentrations were higher and lower, respectively, in the G-HACS group than in the HACS group. The plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations did not differ between the G-HACS group and the HACS group. On the other hand, the DF content in HMCS was 330% higher than that in HACS, but the HMCS and HACS groups generally did not differ except in cecal surface area. Dietary starch did not affect fecal moisture, fecal neutral sterol (cholesterol + coprostanol) excretion, liver cholesterol level, total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration or apparent Ca, Fe, Mg and Zn absorptions. These results show that the heat moisture treatment of HACS for the most part does not alter its physiologic effects despite the greater DF content.