Acid Pullulanase from Bacillus polymyxa MIR-23

Within the frame of a screening program aimed at the isolation of amylolytic sporeformers, one strain with high amylolytic activity designated MIR-23 was selected. The microbial characterization was carried out by morphological and biochemical tests and, by means of statistical treatment, was identified asBacillus polymyxa. The organism could grow in acidic conditions (pH 5.0) on a starch medium and produce α-amylase, pullulanase, and α-glucosidase. Batch cultures showed the highest enzyme activities in the stationary phase. Pullulanase activity exhibited an optimal temperature of 52–57°C at pH 4.5–5.5. These properties would allow its use in the saccharification processes in the starch industries.     

Effect of hydrocolloids on starch thermal transitions,as measured by DSC

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze the influence of different hydrocolloids (xanthan, guar, and locust bean gums, carboxymethylcellulose and sodium alginate) on the gelatinization of corn starch in systems with starch concentration ranging between 0.1 and 0.7 g starch/g mixture. The reduction of available water produced a shift in gelatinization temperature, especially of the conclusion temperature. The effect was more marked for ionic hydrocolloids. The influence of hydrocolloids on glass transition temperature (T _g) of gelatinized starch suspensions and on the glass transition temperature of the maximally freeze-concentrated solute/unfrozen water matrix (T _g) was also studied.T _g onset values ranged between –4.5 and –5.5C for corn starch pastes with and without hydrocolloids. Those hydrocolloids that increased the viscosity of the unfrozen matrix inhibited additional ice formation during thawing (devitrification).Starch concentration and final heating temperature were found to be relevant factors affecting the kinetics of amylopectin retrogradation during frozen storage at –4C. Xanthan gum failed to prevent amylopectin retrogradation; this observation could be attributed to the fact that gums act outside the starch granule, while amylopectin retrogradation takes place within the granule.     

Blends of starch with ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers: effect of water,glycerol, and amino acids as plasticizers

Blends of thermoplastic starch with poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl alcohol) copolymer (EVOH) were melt extruded with water/glycerol as plasticizer and a series of amino acid additives. The biggest factor in end‐use mechanical properties proved to be the relative humidity (RH) during storage. Plasticized starch‐EVOH blends stored at 0 and 50% RH changed significantly over time, with, for example, the tensile strength (TS) of the glycerol‐plasticized blend increasing from 4.7 to 26.3 MPa over 8 weeks when maintained at 0% RH. In contrast, the TS of this same sample stored at 75% RH remained unchanged for 8 weeks. Amino acids provided relatively minor, but significant changes in mechanical properties with time. Based on TS, elongation‐to‐break, and modulus, it may be concluded that β‐alanine, sarcosine, and L ‐proline were more effective than glycerol at maintaining strong flexible blends. Increases in crystallinity and changes in morphology with time, as described by modulated DSC were correlated to these changes in mechanical properties. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sorption of alkyl acetates from aqueous solutions by corn starch cryotextures

Capillary gas chromatography was used to study noncovalent sorption ofn-butyl,n-hexyl, andn-octyl acetates from aqueous solutions by corn starch cryotextures. In the concentration range of 0.5–15.0 mmol L⁻¹, about 38%n-butyl acetate, 70%n-hexyl acetate, and 98%n-octyl acetate are extracted from aqueous solutions. The sorption of the alkyl acetates depends on the alkyl chain length, indicating the hydrophobic character of their interaction with the corn starch cryotexture. No competitive sorption between acetates in the mixture was observed. Binding of alkyl acetates occurs during the cryosponge formation, due probably to the templation at the stage of starch sol, fixation in the cryosponge, and sorption on the surface of its walls. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1943–1945, October, 1998.     

PREPARATION AND SWELLING PROPERTIES OF SUPER-ABSORBENT POLYMER

A super-absorbent polymer is prepared by graft polymerizing acrylamide (AM) ontopotato starch using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) and N, N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide(bisAM) as an initiator and cross-linking agent respectively, and then subjecting the potatostarch-poly(acrylamide) (PAM) graft copolymer (SPAM ) to alkaline saponification. Thewater absorbency (WA) of the sample is nearly 5000 g H_2O/g for dry sample in 24 hat room temperature and is far larger than that of reported in the literature. Thevariables affecting the WA were investigated and optimized, they were: concentrations ofpotato starch, AM, CAN and bisAM were 26.3 g/L, 1.14 mol/L, 10.3 mmol/L and 0.53mmol/L, respectively. The amount of sodium hydroxide was 15 g and the temperatures ofgraft copolymerization and saponification reactions were 60℃ and 95℃. The time of graftcopolymerization and saponification reactions was 2 h, respectively.     

Synthesis and properties of thermoplastic propyl-etherified amylose

Amylose was etherified with 1-bromopropane in DMSO. The degree of substitution (DS) was varied by altering the feed ratio of 1-bromopropane. The structures of the products were characterized by IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. When the molar feed ratio of 1-bromopropane to hydroxyl groups of amylose was beyond 7.5, the hydroxyl groups were completely substituted with propyl ether groups. The etherified amylose with DS 1.9 showed a glass transition temperature (T_g), and that with DS 2.3 or 3.0 showed both T_g and melting temperature (T_m) (DS 3.0 means complete substitution). The etherification imparted melt processability and solubility in nonpolar organic solvent to amylose.     

酶法制备微孔淀粉的工艺研究

使用α-淀粉酶与糖化酶复合制备多孔淀粉,探讨反应温度、反应时间、pH值和酶用量等条件的影响,并且通过正交实验得出最佳工艺条件,当反应温度为50℃,pH值为6.0,反应时间为12h,酶用量为1.0%时,吸附率与得率的综合评定最高.     

微波辐射合成季铵盐型阳离子淀粉絮凝剂

研究了季铵盐型阳离子改性淀粉絮凝剂的微波辐射合成.该工艺反应时间短、产率高、操作简便,同时有效抑制了副反应的发生,提高了产品纯度.讨论了诸因素对反应的影响,通过正交试验确定了反应的最佳条件为:氢氧化钠、2,3-环氧丙基三甲基氯化铵与淀粉的摩尔比1.4∶1∶2.2,辐射反应时间1.5 m in,微波功率280 W.     

马铃薯磷酸单酯淀粉酯化条件分析

通过对磷酸单酯淀粉酯化条件的研究和分析,探讨了不同酯化条件对马铃薯淀粉磷酸单酯粒径和糊化温度的影响.试验结果表明,与原淀粉相比马铃薯磷酸单酯粒径增大,淀粉颗粒无明显变化,糊化温度降低;影响酯化的因素大小顺序为:酯化剂用量>pH>酯化温度>酯化时间;最佳酯化条件为:酯化剂用量25%,pH8.5,温度140℃,时间1h.     

Effect of Carboxymethyl Starch as Stabilizer for Increasing the Stability of Warp Sizing Pastes

The influences of carboxymethyl starch used as stabilizer upon the stability of native cornstarch-polyvinyl alcohol blend pastes for warp sizing have been investigated. The effect of the modified starch on the paste stability was evaluated in terms of the initial demixing time and the volume percentage of separated starch. The carboxymethyl starch with a series of different degrees of substitution was prepared in ethanol dispersion by varying the amount of monochloroacetic acid reacted with refined native cornstarch. The paste stability strongly depends on the modification extent and amount of carboxymethyl starch used, and on native starch content in the paste. Increase in the modification extent and/or the amount of the modified starch effectively retards the phase separation and reduces the separation extent of native cornstarch-polyvinyl alcohol blend pastes. Moreover, the mechanism and favorable modification extent of carboxymethyl starch for enhancing paste stability are also investigated and disc