A HPLC method for specific determination ofα-amylase and glucoamylase in complex enzymatic preparations

Summary In the hydrolysis of soluble starch by mixtures of α-amylase and glucoamylase, the ratios maltose/glucose and maltoriose/glucose linearly depend, over a wide range, on the relation between both enzymes and are independent on the activity level of the enzymatic preparation. HPLC determination of hydrolysis products (glucose, maltose and maltotriose) of soluble starch by mixtures of these enzymes, after incubation under controlled conditions, is a rapid method for the evaluation of the relative levels of each enzyme in the mixtures. The method, first developed using pure commercial amylases, is applied, with consistent results, to cell free media ofAspergillus niger cultures on a glycogen-rich effluent.