Cereal Chem 42:161 - 166.  |  VIEW ARTICLE

Effect of Esterified Phosphorus in Potato Starch on the Action Pattern of Salivary Alpha- Amylase.

L. J. McBurney and M. D. Smith. Copyright 1965 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Potato starch and potato amylopectin were exhaustively hydrolyzed with salivary alpha-amylase for various lengths of time. The phosphorus-containing limit dextrins were isolated by anion exchange and examined by paper electrophoresis. Chemical analyses showed a decrease in the molar ratio of glucose to phosphorus as time of hydrolysis increased. Treatment with alkaline phosphatase (calf mucosa) resulted in 75% dephosphorylation of the phosphodextrins. The remaining 25% proved resistant to further phosphatase action. The dephosphorylated dextrins were identified by paper chromatography. Three members of the homologous maltodextrin series were shown to be present. These were: maltotriose, maltotetraose, and maltopentaose. This range of dextrins represents a degree of amylolysis one stage beyond that reported by other workers. A theoretical treatment, based on the known action pattern of salivary alpha-amylase, is offered to explain the formation of these limit dextrins.