Partial Hydrolysis of Sweet-potato Starch with β-Amylase

Abstract

A series of products with partial and complete hydrolyses of sweet-potato starch by β-amylase was prepared, and their structural properties were characterized. The hydrolysis of amylopectin components was near-linearly proportional to increasing β-amylase treatments on the starch at the range between 0 and 40% of the β-amylolysis. However, very little degradation of amylose components was shown to take place. An increased rate of amylose hydrolysis was found after 40% of β-amylolysis. The longer unit-chain fraction originating from amylopectin molecule was scarcely degraded during the β-amylolysis of starch. The results of this study demonstrate that most of the amylose component still remains even after the greater part of the starch is hydrolyzed by β-amylase.