Large (A) and small (B) granules from wheat starch were subjected to a
lpha-amylolysis. The B granules were solubilised faster than the A gra
nules. The solubilised dextrins we separated from the enzyme before a
secondary hydrolysis of the products occurred and then characterized.
The size-distribution of the hydrolysis products ranged between a degr
ee of polymerization of 2-500. The dextrins solubilised from the B gra
nules contained somewhat more linear fragments and had smaller average
chain length than the corresponding dextrins from the A granules. The
composition of the residues of the A granules remained practically un
changed, whereas the B granules contained somewhat less amylose. Both
granule types possessed extensive fragmentation of some granules, wher
eas other granules were virtually untouched by the enzyme.