Complexation temperature regulated the structure and digestibility of pea starch–gallic acid complexes during high pressure homogenization

Formation of starch–polyphenol complexes by high pressure homogenization (HPH) is widely used to reduce starch digestibility and delay the postprandial glycemic response, thereby benefiting obesity and associated metabolic diseases. This study investigated the effect of complexation temperature on multi–scale structures, physicochemical and digestive properties of pea starch–gallic acid (PS–GA) complexes during HPH process, while also elucidating the corresponding molecular mechanism regulating in vitro digestibility. The results demonstrated that elevating complexation temperature from 30 °C to 100 °C promoted the interaction between PS and GA and reached a peak complex index of 9.22 % at 90 °C through non–covalent binding. The enhanced interaction led to the formation of ordered multi–scale structures within PS–GA complexes, characterized by larger particles that exhibited greater thermal stability and elastic properties. Consequently, the PS–GA complexes exhibited substantially reduced digestion rates with the content of resistant starch increased from 28.50 % to 38.26 %. The potential molecular mechanism underlying how complexation temperature regulated digestibility of PS–GA complexes might be attributed to the synergistic effect of the physical barriers from newly ordered structure and inhibitory effect of GA against digestive enzymes. Overall, our findings contribute to the advancement of current knowledge regarding starch–polyphenol interactions and promote the development of functional starches with low postprandial glycemic responses.