Kinetics of enzymatic starch liquefaction: Simulation of the high-molecular-weight product distribution

Enzymatic corn starch liquefaction with alpha-amylase was carried out. Molecular weight distributions of the resulting hydrolysates are presented using aqueous size exclusion chromatographic techniques. It is demonstrated that despite the fact that the enzyme employed reacts in a random endoacting manner, the product distributions are nonrandom. The results are explained in part by a multimerization process whereby the polymeric substrate molecules preferentially associate, forming intermolecular aggregates. These aggregates are either a consequence of the manner in which the material is deposited into the native granular structure of starch or due to intrinsic physical chemical properties of the polysaccharide. In the latter case, the results are shown to correspond to known multimerized amylose, although complete characterization of the polysaccharide is currently not available. The results presented are used to develop a simplified kinetic model of starch liquefaction and shown to simulate the product distributions accurately.