β-Amylase

The Uses of β-Amylase

β-Amylase is a gel filtration molecular weight marker that can be used in gel filtration chromatography and protein chromatography. β-Amylase can be purified by affinity precipitation with alginate.

The Uses of β-Amylase

β -Amylase is used to hydrolyze α bonds of α-linked polysaccharides, such as starch and glycogen. β -Amylase, has been used in various plant studies, such as carbon starvation studies in Populus tremuloides 1 . β -Amylase, from barley, has been used to study how pressure and temperature affect catalytic activity.

The Uses of β-Amylase

In starch processing, brewing, distilling, baking, animal feed, sewage treatment.

General Description

β-Amylases belongs to the class of amylolytic enzymes.

Flammability and Explosibility

Not classified

Biochem/physiol Actions

β-Amylase hydrolyzes the α-(1,4) glucan linkages in polysaccharides of three or more α-(1,4) linked D-glucose units. Natural substrates such as starch and glycogen are broken down into glucose and maltose. Pure, crystalline β-amylase preparation consists of four isoenzymes with different isoelectric points. The enzyme polymerizes very rapidly through the sulfhydryl groups in the absence of reducing agents. p-Chloromercuribenzoate inhibits the polymerization and the enzymatic activity. The reducing agents mercaptoethanol or dithiothreitol can completely restore the activity.