Abstract:Chestnut starch-polyphenol complexes were prepared with four polyphenols （ferulic acid，gallic acid，tea polyphenols，and catechin） and chestnut starch. The crystal structure，microstructure，and digestive properties were compared among the complexes. The results showed that the chestnut starch-polyphenol complex gels had loose and porous microstructures，which were more obvious in the complexes prepared with ferulic acid/catechin. Ferulic acid/gallic acid with a smaller molecular weight was easier to form a single-helix structure with starch，which improved the short-range order degree on the complex surface. Polyphenols inhibited the aggregation and orientation of chestnut starch molecular chains and reduced the formation of longrange order （relative crystallinity：starch-ferulic acid complex 11.68%，starch-gallic acid complex 12.08%，starch-tea polyphenol complex 10.98%，and starch-catechin complex 10.70%），thereby reducing the recrystallization and slowing down the retrogradation of starch. During in vitro digestion，the content of resistant starch（RS） of chestnut starch increased after complexing with tea polyphenols/catechin，which enhanced the antidigestive properties （RS content：starch-ferulic acid complex 31.69%，starch-gallic acid complex 32.65%，starch-tea polyphenol complex 34.72%，and starch-catechin complex 36.44%）. In conclusion，polyphenols can effectively improve the texture and water-holding properties of chestnut starch gel products and enhance the anti-retrogradation and anti-digestive properties of chestnut starch.