| Abstract: | In vitro digestibility of starch from tepary bean, Phaseolus acutifolius var. latifolius, was determined in comparison with tepary bean flour and maize starch. The extent of sample hydrolysis by α-amylase was measured as mg reducing sugar (maltose) released per 100 mg substrate. After 2 h incubation at 37°C, values obtained for tepary starch, tepary flour and maize starch treated in various ways were as follows: raw 8.0, 8.6 and 25.6; freeze dried 2.6, 3.2 and 17.8; autoclaved 7.4, 5.7 and 27.7; cooked (15 min) 81.7, 23.1 and 87.8; resp. Raw tepary starch was more resistant to hydrolysis than maize starch due, perhaps, to differences in granule structure and amylose content. Freeze-drying and autoclaving slightly decreased digestibility of both tepary starch and flour. Cooking greatly increased susceptibility to hydrolysis for each substrate. The rate of increase was reduced after 15 min exposure to enzymes, and no appreciable difference was found between cooked tepary and maize starches. |
