Amylodextrins with soluble beta-glucan contents as high as 10% were pr
epared from milled oat flours and bran. The level of enzymatic convers
ion was measured by high performance liquid chromatography and gel per
meation chromatography. The large molecular weight amylodextrin fragme
nts containing the beta-glucan from low level amylolytic conversions w
ere measured by gel permeation chromatography. The different elution t
imes of the two separate enzyme conversion mixture components suggest
different modes of enzyme actions. Lower molecular weight fractions ar
e produced by the action of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase in co
ntrast to the action of B. stearothermophilus alpha-amylase, due possi
bly to dissimilar enzyme dosages. Comparisons of the amylodextrin comp
ositions produced by B. stearothermophilus alpha-amylase and B. lichen
iformis alpha-amylase systems at intermediate conversion levels reveal
ed that the B. stearothermophilus alpha-amylase gave much larger quant
ities of the maltohexaose component than the B. licheniformis alpha-am
ylase.