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Annual Progress Report on Malting Barley Research March, 2007

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Beta-limit dextrin<br />

Alpha-Amylase<br />

Alpha- 1, 6 branch<br />

Small dextrin + sugars<br />

Figure 3. Endo-activity of alpha-amylase <strong>on</strong> beta-limit dextrin substrate. Products are<br />

small dextrins and sugars. As the size of the substrate decreases, the ability to bind<br />

iodine is lost.<br />

However, the situati<strong>on</strong> is not as simple as presented in figure 3. Starch (amylopectin) is<br />

described as being composed of A, B and C-Chains. The C-chain is the central chain<br />

carrying the reducing group, while the outermost A-chains are unbranched. While the Bchains<br />

are branched, they may have very l<strong>on</strong>g unbranched segments. Figure 4 shows a<br />

representative diagram of a porti<strong>on</strong> of the starch molecule (the complete molecule may<br />

c<strong>on</strong>tain > 1 x 10 6 glucose residues). The shaded circles show glucose residues that<br />

would be initially removed by beta-amylase (as maltose) in the preparati<strong>on</strong> of beta-limit<br />

dextrin. However, when the beta-limit dextrin is used in the assay of alpha-amylase, its<br />

acti<strong>on</strong> opens up these unbranched B-chain residues, and they then become susceptible<br />

to beta-amylase. The glucose residues that would become susceptible to beta-, <strong>on</strong>ly<br />

after attack by alpha-amylase are shown with striped circles. The length of these<br />

susceptible unbranched B-regi<strong>on</strong>s can be c<strong>on</strong>siderable (>50 glucose) and they are<br />

associated with iodine binding. As such, it seems possible that the use of beta-limit<br />

dextrin in the assay of malt alpha-amylase may not completely eliminate interference<br />

from beta-amylase.<br />

79

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