Isolated bean cells were used to understand the contribution of cell wall and cytoplasmic matrix on starch digestibility. Cotyledon cells were treated enzymatically and mechanically to reduce the level of cell intactness. SEM and chemical characterization revealed that enzymatic treatment modified cell wall thickness and porosity without altering the cytoplasmic matrix, whereas mechanical treatment completely disrupted cell structure. Decreasing cell intactness increased the rate but not the extent of starch digestion in-vitro. It was concluded that cell wall serves as a permeable barrier limiting the access of digestive enzymes. Cytoplasmic matrix, on the other hand, reduced further the accessibility of amylase to starch affecting its hydrolysis rate. In addition, it was proven that cell structural changes, if any, occurring during digestion had no effect on starch hydrolysis.

使用分离的豆细胞来了解细胞壁和细胞质基质对淀粉消化率的贡献。对子叶细胞进行酶和机械处理，以降低细胞完整性的水平。扫描电镜和化学表征表明，酶处理可以改变细胞壁的厚度和孔隙率，而不会改变细胞质基质，而机械处理则完全破坏了细胞结构。降低细胞完整性会增加体外淀粉消化的速度，但不会增加淀粉消化的程度。结论是细胞壁作为限制消化酶进入的渗透屏障。另一方面，细胞质基质进一步降低了淀粉酶对淀粉的可及性，从而影响了其水解速率。此外，已证明消化过程中发生的细胞结构变化（如果有的话）对淀粉水解没有影响。