Abstract:Red kidney bean cells were isolated under atmospheric pressure hydrothermal treatment with varying temperatures and incubation time to elucidate the effects on the structural and in vitro digestibility of starches in cells. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using a combination of morphological analysis, X-ray diffraction, thermal properties, and in vitro simulated digestion methods. The results indicated that the red kidney bean cells isolated under 80~100 ℃ all maintained morphological integrity. The starch within cells was not fully gelatinized, and the crystal structure was partially disrupted, retaining a certain degree of relative crystallinity (12.97%-16.54%). Compared to processing duration, temperature imposed a more significant impact on the starch crystal structure. As the hydrothermal treatment temperature increased (80~100 ℃) and duration extended (25~45 min), the intracellular fluorescence intensity of FITC-dextran intensified, the in vitro starch digestibility increased from 56.25% to 69.25%. At 80/90 ℃, cell wall permeability would predominantly influence the starch digestibility properties. While, both cell wall permeability and starch crystallinity would simultaneously affect the starch digestibility in cells when the temperature rose to 100 ℃. Therefore, by modulating the temperature and duration of atmospheric pressure hydrothermal processing, the digestive properties of starch contained in red kidney bean cells can be effectively regulated. This study helps to reveal the changes in the nutritional characteristics of starch components in legumes during thermal processing, providing theoretical guidance for the development of legume-based functional foods.