ENZYMES OF BARLEY AND MALT II. RAPID PRELIMINARY FRACTIONATION BY SELECTIVE ELUTION FROM ALUMINA

Abstract

Enzymes of malt which individually bring about the hydrolysis of starch, maltose, panose, sucrose, laminarin, cellobiose and adenosine have been partially purified by gradient elution from an alumina column with phosphate-citric acid buffer; by this means also the fractionation of α- and β-amylase activities has been achieved. Evidence has been obtained for the separation of different enzymes hydrolyzing laminarin, one functioning by stepwise action leading to the production of glucose units and the other by random attack. Additionally, evidence has been obtained for the presence of an enzyme which brings about an increase in the iodine-staining capacity of starch and for the ability of this enzyme or one associated with it to catalyse the fission of α-I-6-glucosidic linkages.