Abstract: Octenyl succinic anhydride starch hydrolysate (OSA-SH) was kind of efficient edible modified starch glue.It was widely used in emulsion flavor, soft drinks, salad oil, yogurt and cheese, sweets and so on. The structure and composition were investigated by means of Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy, electron microscope, TGA, HPLC, etc. And its physico-chemical properties were determined by measuring type of molecular bond, characteristics of ultraviolet absorption, sugar composition, DE value, viscosity, surface tension, emulsifying properties and other indicators. Results showed that all the products had some good properties such as water solubility, high concentration and low stickiness, surface activity and emulsifying properties. Different sources of products had different component and different DE value. They form two different types of octenyl succinic anhydride starch hydrolysate products, one DE value was less than 5.0 and the other was more than 20.0.