DETERMINATION OF ALPHA AMYLASE ACTIVITY IN THE CEREAL INDUSTRY
DETERMINATION OF ALPHA AMYLASE ACTIVITY IN THE CEREAL INDUSTRY
Rabia Tiryaki, MsC., Bastak Instruments
Proteolytic and amylolytic enzyme activity has an important place in determining the bread quality of flour, our most important staple food and the gold of the milling industry. CO2 gas, which is necessary for the rising of dough and bread, is formed from sugars formed by the action of amylase from existing or damaged starch in the fermentation process.
Amylolytic enzymes play an important role in the formation of sugars required for the formation of fermentation in dough making, and in the absence of sufficient levels of alpha and beta amylase enzymes in the environment, the sugars required for fermentation will not be able to form enough CO2 to allow the bread to rise, the volume of bread will decrease and the quality will be significantly affected. Therefore, amylase is an important parameter in determining bread quality.
Losses in cereal crops due to germination damage, which is irregular and difficult to predict as a function of weather conditions, are quite large. There is a rapid increase in the amylolytic activity of wheat with germination, a decrease in the amount of glassy grain and an increase in the percentage of damaged grain and bran. The dough made from wheat flours with high amylase activity becomes stodgy and difficult to work; the bread is sticky, the pores are small and the volume is insufficient.
In places where the weather is dry or semi-arid during ripening and harvesting, wheat samples usually show insufficient and low amylase activity with normal milling process. Breads obtained from flour with low amylase activity have small volume, pale crust colour and dry crust.
CO2 gas formation increases in doughs made from flours with normal amylase enzyme activity. The crust colour of the bread is at the desired level, the pore structure of the bread is improved and the gas holding capacity of the dough is increased and an increase in bread volume is observed.
The most advanced method to determine enzyme activity in flour and wheat is Falling Number test. Falling Number analysis is the most effective method accepted in the world for the determination of α-amylase activity and is performed with Bastak Brand Falling Number 5000 and 5100 devices, which have been producing with the world's most advanced machinery in the field of food quality control devices for 24 years. This test is based on the principle of measuring the time required for liquefaction of starch by alpha amylase enzyme by rapid gelatinization of flour and water mixture.
In a good bread flour, falling number value (falling number) should be between 200-250 seconds. In general, values of 250 and above give an idea that there is no climate damage in wheat. If the falling number is higher than 300, alpha amylase activity is low, fermentation takes place slowly and breads made from these flours have low volume, dry inside and short shelf life. Breads made from flours with a Falling Number lower than 150 have a sticky consistency, fermentation is fast, low volume, low shelf life and dark colour.
Falling Number value is used by millers to produce products with preferred falling number value, to adjust the baking process, to determine the final quality of the product both incoming and produced in the industry and to ensure its consistency, by bakers to inform suppliers of the type of product they need for their final products and to save time and money.
Bastak brand 5000 and 5100 model FN Cheq (Falling Number) devices, which have more than 20.000 devices in operation in thousands of flour, bread, pasta, biscuit, cereal industry manufacturers, universities, research industries and cereal quality control analysis laboratories worldwide, determine the alpha amylase enzyme amount of 2 samples of commercial flour, wheat flour, whole wheat flour, durum wheat flour, bulgur, vital gluten, noodle, semolina at the same time in 10 minutes. Falling Number "FN" measurement mode is used to determine the amount of natural alpha amylase enzyme. "FFN" measurement mode is used to determine the total (microbiological + natural) alpha amylase enzyme amount. It has the ability to correct the analysis results according to ICC standards. The device automatically adjusts the boiling temperature, which is the FN test temperature, according to sea level. FFN test temperature of 90°C is also set automatically by the device.
When the amount of alpha amylase enzyme is low, the starch in pasta, biscuits and bakery products will not be broken down sufficiently, resulting in a harder dough and again deteriorating the quality of the final product. Apart from this feature, the FN Cheq device also gives an idea about the harvest conditions in the field, transport conditions and storage conditions in warehouses.
Bastak FN Cheq device, which uses world class methods, is microprocessor controlled and has ergonomic design. During the test, company name, date, time, boiler temperature, boiler water level, test mode, test time and the work of the device (running, printing, stop etc.) can be seen on the LCD screen. The boiler water level automatically stops the operation of the device with 'water low' and 'water level high' warnings. The amount of malt enzyme to be added according to the desired FN value, "LN It has the ability to calculate the liquefaction value of the sample with the key.
Bastak FNX Shaker 5050 falling number, one of the accessories of the FN Cheq device, provides operator-independent results of the analysis samples to be tested, mixes the sample in the same way every time, provides high repeatability of the analysis result and increases laboratory efficiency by reducing the sample mixing time to 3 seconds. Bastak FN 5025 Cooling Tower provides cooling water circulation and saves time and cost with its robust and ergonomic structure.
