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Naringenin, the predominant flavanone in grapefruit, is a potent antioxidant, however its poor water solubility and bioavailability limit its clinical potential. The objective of this study was to improve naringenin solubility via inclusion complexation with starch. Potato starch was modified chemically (acetylation) and enzymatically (debranching), and various reaction conditions were evaluated to improve its complexation with naringenin. The soluble and insoluble complexes of naringenin were recovered and characterized. Acetylation decreased the formation of insoluble complex and increased the formation of the soluble complexes with a recovery total of approximately 0.88 - 0.93 g/g. The insoluble complexes contained a greater amount of complexed naringenin and displayed a mixture of B- and V-type X-ray pattern compared with the soluble complexes of a mixture of A- and V-type pattern. These results demonstrate that acetylation can improve starch-naringenin complexation.