USE OF ENZYMES FOR THE SEPARATION OF PROTEIN FROM RICE FLOUR

When rice flour was treated with heat stable alpha-amylases, the effec tiveness of protein separation increased with increased temperature. D epending on the enzyme, treatment at 90 degrees C for 45 min resulted in protein contents of 47-65% for the insoluble fraction. Prior gelati nization enhanced the effectiveness of the enzyme reaction but was und esirable because the increased viscosity and gelation could cause diff iculties in the processing operation. Follow-up treatment with other c arbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes, such as glucoamylase, cellulase, and hemicellulase further increased the protein content up to 76% for the insoluble fraction. The subunit structure of the isolated proteins, ba sed on electrophoretic analysis, remained practically unchanged after the treatment. The limited solubility and emulsion activity of rice pr otein were also unchanged.