AMYLODEXTRINS CONTAINING BETA-GLUCAN FROM OAT FLOURS AND BRAN

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.