Coupling effect of dehydration characteristics and microstructure of broad bean seeds under low-temperature vacuum environment.

This study investigated microstructural changes in broad bean seeds at 0 and 8 °C at a vacuum degree of 97 kPa using an SEM. The cellular-morphology distributions changed obviously with time and temperatures. Although cell rupture occurred, higher temperatures caused more cells to contract more actively. The cell size was primarily affected by moisture content, while the cell shape was simultaneously influenced by temperature and moisture content. The diameter correlated well with moisture loss and shrinkage during dehydration (correlation coefficients > 0.96). However, the correlation was not strong (most correlation coefficients < 0.9) when the cell shape was considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]