Physicochemical properties and digestibility of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) starches

•Digestibility of uncooked and cooked common bean starch was investigated.•Significant differences were observed in structure properties of common bean starch.•The native bean starches were highly resistant to enzyme digestion.•RS contents of cooked bean starches were higher than that of corn and potato starch.

Physicochemical properties and digestibility of pinto bean, red kidney bean, black bean and navy bean starches were analyzed. All the common bean starches had oval and spherical granules with average diameter of 25.3–27.4 μm. Amylose contents were 32.0–45.4%. Black bean starch showed the highest peak viscosity, breakdown, final viscosity and setback, whereas red kidney bean starch showed the lowest pasting temperature, peak viscosity, breakdown, and setback. Pinto bean starch showed the highest onset and peak gelatinization temperatures, and the lowest gelatinization temperature range; whereas navy bean starch exhibited the lowest values. Amylopectin of red kidney bean had the highest molecular weight (Mw) and z-average gyration radius (Rz), whereas black bean amylopectin had the lowest values of Mw and Rz. The proportions of DP 6–12, DP 13–24, DP 25–36, and DP ≥ 37 and average branch-chain lengths were 23.30–35.21%, 47.79–53.53%, 8.99–12.65%, 6.39–13.49%, and 17.91–21.56, respectively. All the native bean starches were highly resistant to enzyme digestion.