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Abstrato

Relationship between α-amylase degradation and amylose/amylopectin content of maize starches

Ayoade L. Adejumo, Fatai A. Aderibigbe and Rasheed U. Owolabi

Many unique functional properties of starch have been utilized for industrial applications. These properties are influenced by the granular and molecular structures of starch.The amylose/amylopectin content in two maize starch samples of differing cultivars were measured. The starches were then subjected to enzymatic digestibility by α- amylase. The degree of hydrolysis of each starch sample was compared with amylose/amylopectin content. Starches from the two varieties of maize showed variable susceptibilities to B. cereus α-amylase attack. The degrees of hydrolysis are 37.5 % (yellow maize) and 42.0% (white maize). The amylopectin content of the two starches are 59.33 % (white maize) and 64.24 % (yellow maize). This suggests that the amylopectin content was inversely related to susceptibility by B.cereus α-amylase attack. The maize starch with the higher amylose content has the higher value of dextrose equivalent