Enzymatic isomaltooligosaccharides production

Abstract

The subject of our study was the enzymatic synthesis of isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOs) from sucrose using two enzymes produced in our laboratory, i.e. dextransucrase (DS) from Leuconostoc mesenteroides and dextranase (D) from Penicillium funiculosum. Dextransucrease converts sucrose into dextran with fructose (Fru) as a by-product, whereas dextranase transforms dextran into IMOs. The research was focused on elucidation of the effect of, reaction time and enzyme and sucrose concentration, as well as the on the IMOs production. The reactions were carried out for 24 and 48 h, at 30°C and pH 5.4, in solutions containing different amounts of sucrose (5, 10, 20 and 40% w/v). It was shown that the composition of reaction products in particular depended on the concentration of sucrose solutions. The highest yield of isomaltose (IM), about 50% of total determined sugars, was achieved in 10 and 20% sucrose solutions. In the 10% case, glucose (Glc) predominated among the other reaction products, while it was isomaltotriose (IM3) at 20%. At higher sucrose concentrations even more IM3, and leucrose (Leucr), were formed.