Gelatinized wheat, potato and waxy maize starches were treated enzymatically in order to increase the degree of branching of the amylopectin fraction and thereby change the starch degradation profile towards a higher proportion of slowly digestible starch (SDS). The materials were characterized by single-pulse (1)H HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy and in vitro digestion profile according to the Englyst procedure. Using various concentrations and incubation times with branching enzyme (EC 2.4.1.18) without or with additional treatment with the hydrolytic enzymes; β-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2), α-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20), or amyloglucosidase (EC 3.2.1.3) the proportion of α-(1-6) linkages was increased by up to a factor of 4.1, 5 and 5.8 in waxy maize, wheat and potato starches, respectively. The proportion of SDS was significantly increased when using hydrolytic enzymes after treatment with branching enzyme but it was only for waxy maize that the proportion of α-(1-6) bonds and the in vitro digestion profile was significantly correlated.
Keywords: branching enzyme; potato; waxy maize; wheat; α-1,6-linkages.