Insight into the characterization and digestion of lotus seed starch-tea polyphenol complexes prepared under high hydrostatic pressure.

Complex starch is gaining research attention due to its unique physicochemical and functional properties. In this study, the effects of green tea polyphenols on the properties and digestion of lotus seed starch under high hydrostatic pressure were investigated. The particle size, swelling power, solubility, crystallization, morphology and thermal properties of lotus seed starch were affected by green tea polyphenols. These may be due to the formation of non-inclusive complexes between lotus seed starch and green tea polyphenols. The morphology and green tea polyphenols distribution of the complexes were determined by scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. In addition, slow digestion properties of starch were realized under a dynamic in vitro rat stomach-duodenum model and the erosion of granules by amylase gradually decreased by scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, green tea polyphenols were shown to be able to form V-type inclusion complex with amylose via high hydrostatic pressure.