Understanding the in vitro digestion of pulse cotyledon cells with differing structural integrity

Máté-Koncz, Glória (2025) Understanding the in vitro digestion of pulse cotyledon cells with differing structural integrity. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Pulses offer health benefits like improved glyceamia and reduced risks of obesity and colorectal cancer; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Pulses consist of cotyledon cells where starch is stored within the cells, surrounded by the protein matrices and encapsulated by plant cell walls. Food processing can alter cellular integrity, impacting digestibility and potentially compromising health benefits. This project investigated the in vitro upper gastrointestinal tract digestibility and colonic fermentation of fava beans with varying cellular integrity to explore mechanisms controlling digestion.

Upper gastrointestinal tract digestion studies assessed the impact of plant cell wall weakening with NaHCO3 hydrothermal treatment on starch and protein bioaccessibility. Compared to H2O-cooked cells, weakened cells released significantly more free primary amines during gastric digestion (p<0.0001 at 1 h and 2 h) but showed no differences in small intestinal proteolysis. However, weakened cells exhibited significantly higher starch release (p<0.05) at 30 minutes at the small intestinal phase, suggesting that intact cell walls hinder amylolytic but not proteolytic enzymes in the intestinal phase.

Colonic fermentation studies examined the effects of cell structure alone (intact vs. broken) and the impact of upper gastrointestinal tract digestion on fermentation outcomes. Using batch fermentation models with faecal microbiota from healthy donors (n=3), metabolites were measured by NMR, microbial changes by shotgun metagenomics, and structural changes with microscopy. While cellular differences alone had no significant impact (p>0.05), upper gastrointestinal digestion influenced macronutrient delivery to the colon. As a result intact cells promoted the growth of short-chain fatty acids producers and led to significantly higher butyrate production (p=0.0054), a marker of colonic health.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	08 Apr 2026 14:07
Last Modified:	08 Apr 2026 14:07
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/102712
DOI:

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