Structural modification and characterization of rice starch treated by Thermus aquaticus 4-α-glucanotransferase

Rice starch was modified using Thermus aquaticus 4-α-glucanotransferase (TAαGTase) in this study. The changes in the molecular structure and the effect on the starch retrogradation by TAαGTase treatment were investigated on isolated rice starch. By treating TAαGTase, molecular weight profile of amylopectins shifted to higher elution time from 1.0 × 108 to 2.4 × 107 or 0.8 × 107, depending on the level of enzyme dosage. Meanwhile, there were huge increases in the proportions of content corresponding to amylose size and even smaller molecules. On treating with TAαGTase, short branch chains (DP 1–8) increased, and longer branch chains (>DP 19) increased significantly as well, with a broader distribution up to DP 46 compared to the control rice starch. Amylose content decreased from 30.0 to 21.8–23.7%. This indicated that the amylose could be transferred to the amylopectin branch chain by the disproportionation of TAαGTase, resulting in lowering the amylose content and the formation of amylopectin with a broader branch-chain length distribution. TAαGTase modified rice starch showed that X-ray diffraction pattern of the B-type crystalline even before cold storage, and that a variety of cyclic glucans (DP 5–19) were produced by enzymatic reaction. In particular, the accelerated rate of starch retrogradation was clearly observed compared to the control due to an overall increase in the number of elongated long-branch chains, decrease in the amount of amylose–lipid complex, and the possible synergistic effects of these factors.

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