DIKUL - logo
E-resources
Peer reviewed Open access
  • Enzyme-Synthesized Highly B...
    Lee, Byung-Hoo; Yan, Like; Phillips, Robert J; Reuhs, Bradley L; Jones, Kyra; Rose, David R; Nichols, Buford L; Quezada-Calvillo, Roberto; Yoo, Sang-Ho; Hamaker, Bruce R; Müller, Michael

    PloS one, 04/2013, Volume: 8, Issue: 4
    Journal Article

    For digestion of starch in humans, α-amylase first hydrolyzes starch molecules to produce α-limit dextrins, followed by complete hydrolysis to glucose by the mucosal α-glucosidases in the small intestine. It is known that α-1,6 linkages in starch are hydrolyzed at a lower rate than are α-1,4 linkages. Here, to create designed slowly digestible carbohydrates, the structure of waxy corn starch (WCS) was modified using a known branching enzyme alone (BE) and an in combination with β-amylase (BA) to increase further the α-1,6 branching ratio. The digestibility of the enzymatically synthesized products was investigated using α-amylase and four recombinant mammalian mucosal α-glucosidases. Enzyme-modified products (BE-WCS and BEBA-WCS) had increased percentage of α-1,6 linkages (WCS: 5.3%, BE-WCS: 7.1%, and BEBA-WCS: 12.9%), decreased weight-average molecular weight (WCS: 1.73×10 8 Da, BE-WCS: 2.76×10 5 Da, and BEBA-WCS 1.62×10 5 Da), and changes in linear chain distributions (WCS: 21.6, BE-WCS: 16.9, BEBA-WCS: 12.2 DP w). Hydrolysis by human pancreatic α-amylase resulted in an increase in the amount of branched α-limit dextrin from 26.8% (WCS) to 56.8% (BEBA-WCS). The α-amylolyzed samples were hydrolyzed by the individual α-glucosidases (100 U) and glucogenesis decreased with all as the branching ratio increased. This is the first report showing that hydrolysis rate of the mammalian mucosal α-glucosidases is limited by the amount of branched α-limit dextrin. When enzyme-treated materials were gavaged to rats, the level of postprandial blood glucose at 60 min from BEBA-WCS was significantly higher than for WCS or BE-WCS. Thus, highly branched glucan structures modified by BE and BA had a comparably slow digesting property both in vitro and in vivo . Such highly branched α-glucans show promise as a food ingredient to control postprandial glucose levels and to attain extended glucose release.