alpha-Amylase

α-Amylase is a hydrolase enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of internal α-1, 4-glycosidic linkages in starch to yield products like glucose and maltose.
Alpha-amylase is a kind of enzyme being able to hydrolyzes alpha bonds of large alpha-linked polysaccharides including starch and glycogen. It is a very small, stable enzyme which is resistant to many unfavorable conditions. It can hydrolyzes starch and glycogen to maltose and glucose, respectively so that providing energy for human beings and animals. Alpha-amylase is present in almost all kinds of plants, animals and microbes. It has many industrial applications. For example, it can be used in the production of ethanol through breaking starches in grains into fermentable sugars. It can also be used during the production of high-fructose corn syrup. In addition, it can be used in some dishwashing and starch-removing detergents.
Nearly white to light brownish yellow amorphous powder, or light brownish yellow to dark brown liquid. Almost insoluble in ethanol, chloroform and ether. Soluble in water, the aqueous solution is pale yellow to dark brown. The main acting enzymes of those made with Aspergillus niger var. niger include: (1) α-amylase (liquefying enzyme); (2) pectinase (generally a mixture of pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase, and pectic acid cleaving enzyme); (3) cellulase; (4) glucan converting enzyme (amyloglucosidase); (5) hemicellulase; (6) lactase; and (7) β-glucanase. Those prepared from Aspergillus oryzae variants are mainly: (1) α-amylase; (2) glucoamylase (amyloglucosidase); and (3) lactase. For those made from yeast, the main enzymes are (1) invertase and (2) lactase. The main enzyme is cellulase when it is made by Aspergillus Mucor. The main enzymes made by Aspergillus oryzae are (1) α-amylase (liquefying enzyme), (2) pectinase, and (3) glucoamylase (starch glucosidase).
This product has been enhanced for energy efficiency and waste prevention when used in starch ethanol research.