Metabolomics of black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) during atmospheric pressure steaming and in vitro simulated digestion

In the paper, metabolomics techniques based on UHPLC-QE-MS were used to study raw black beans, steaming black beans, and their in vitro digestion products. The results show that the three groups of raw black beans, atmospheric pressure-steamed black beans, and their in vitro digests comprised 922, 945, and 878 characteristic metabolites, respectively, dominated by amino acids, organic acids, polyphenols, and sugars. After screening the differential metabolites, content comparison, the content of amino acids, sugars, and phenolics in black beans was found to be increased after atmospheric steaming. During in vitro digestion, the amino acid content increased and the phenolic content decreased, with amino acid synthesis, phenolic degradation, and conversion predominating. This study provides data to support the changes in black beans metabolites during atmospheric steam processing and in vitro digestion.