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Viscosity based quantification of endogenous β-glucanase activity in flour
Anne Rieder1, Simon Ballance1, Svein Halvor Knutsen1
1Nofima, Norwegian Institute for Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, PB 210, N-1431 Aas, Norway.
Carbohydrate Polymers
|December 3, 2014
Summary
High molecular weight cereal beta-glucans offer health benefits, but flour enzymes reduce their size during baking. A new rapid viscosity method accurately quantifies beta-glucanase activity in flours.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- High molecular weight (MW) cereal beta-glucans are linked to health benefits, including reduced cholesterol and blood glucose.
- Enzymatic activity of endogenous flour enzymes during bread production degrades beta-glucans, reducing their MW and physiological benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a rapid, accurate method for quantifying beta-glucanase activity in cereal flours.
- To identify flour fractions or treatments that minimize beta-glucan depolymerization during bread making.
Main Methods:
- Beta-glucan depolymerization by wheat, barley, and rye flour extracts was monitored using a rheometer to measure viscosity decrease.
- Beta-glucanase activity was quantified by calculating the slope of inverse viscosity (1/η) versus degradation time.
- Results were validated against depolymerization rates determined by High-Performance Size-Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC).
Main Results:
- The viscosity-based method demonstrated a rapid assay time (20 minutes per sample) with high accuracy (≤6% variation).
- The method showed good correlation with HPSEC-estimated depolymerization rates.
- The technique effectively quantified beta-glucanase activity across different flour extracts.
Conclusions:
- A viscosity-based method provides a fast and accurate means to assess beta-glucanase activity in flours.
- This method can be utilized for screening low beta-glucanase activity flour fractions, evaluating enzyme inactivation treatments, and developing beta-glucanase inhibitors for baking applications.
