A simple method for determination of starch hydrolysis degree by measurement of maltooligosaccharides using HPLC on SGX C-18 column with deionised water as mobile phase was presented. Separation of seven oligosaccharides in an order from glucose to maltoheptaose illustrated the action of two enzyme systems taking part of starch hydrolysis and following fermentation to ethanol.
INTRODUCTTON
Yeast amylolytic system is very diverse. Besides major components of this system -ol-amylase and glucoamylase -also further activities can be found: pullulanase, cyclodextrinase or debranching activities (Sills et al., 1984;De Mot and Verachtert, 1987;Horn et a/., 1988). Mutual effect of all mentioned enzymes on starch substrate results in different product distribution profiles of starch hydrolysates which may serve as substrates for following metabolic processes. Because new active starch-degrading yeasts have been observed (Horn et al., 1988;Linardi, 1993) and mutants with enhanced amylolytic activity have been developed (Horn el al., 1992;Ryu and Ko, 1993; D' Aguanno and Pretorius, 1994) the requirement for rapid characterization of extracellular amylase complex in real conditions is still actual.
In this paper we describe a simple method for determination of starch hydrolysis degree by measurement of maltooligosaccharides using HF'LC. Proposed method was shown on two enzyme systems characterization in process of starch hydrolysis and of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of starch to ethanol as well.