Cereal Chem 62:120-123   |  VIEW ARTICLE
Endogenous Alpha-Amylase Inhibitor in Various Cereals.

R. J. Weselake, A. W. MacGregor, and R. D. Hill. Copyright 1985 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

An endogenous alpha-amylase inhibitor was detected in various cereal grains by an immunochemical method and by inhibition of alpha-amylase activity. Immunochemical studies showed that barley cultivars contained a protein that had complete immunochemical identity with the purified inhibitor. Wheat cultivars, rye, and triticale contained protein that showed only partial immunochemical identity with the purified inhibitor, but sorghum, oats, millet, rice, and maize did not elicit an immunochemical response. Inhibitor activity was found in all barley cultivars, wheat, rye, and triticale but not in sorghum, oats, millet, rice, or maize. These findings indicate that endogenous alpha-amylase inhibitors are not restricted to barley but are also present in other cereals. Examination of pearling fractions of barley indicated that the inhibitor was disbributed throughout the endosperm.