MAKOTO KANAUCHI (1), Charles W. Bamforth (2)
(1) Miyagi University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan; (2) University of California, Davis, CA
β-Glucan released from the endosperm cell walls of barley adversely
affects brewing processes and beer. Therefore, the aim has long been to
use endogenous or exogenous β-glucanases in the malthouse and brewhouse.
However, it has been suggested that glucan degradation products may be
prebiotic substances of benefit to the body. Furthermore, it has
recently been proposed that certain hop aroma compounds are released in
beer from non-flavorsome precursors through the action of β-glucosidase
from yeast. Different yeast strains have different glycosidic enzymes
and cause individual cleavage of glycosides during fermentation. This
report describes a comparison of the characteristics of β-glucosidase
from an ale strain and a lager strain. The enzymes have been partially
purified and assayed using various substrates. In both strains. the
activity is maximal after 7 days at 15°C, the level thereafter
decreasing. The enzyme from the ale yeast was more heat tolerant and
showed different inhibitor sensitivity to that from lager yeast. This
presentation will report a range of characteristics for both enzymes.
Makoto Kanauchi graduated from the Tokyo University of Agriculture,
Tokyo, Japan, in 1996 and received a Ph.D. degree in bio-regulation
control from that university in 1999. He worked in Professor Charles
Bamforth’s laboratory in the Department of Food Science and Technology,
University of California at Davis, CA, from 1999 to 2003. Subsequently,
he was employed at the Institute of Food Science in Fuji Oil Co. Ltd.,
Moriya, Ibaraki, Japan, as a researcher from 2003 to 2005. Since April
2005, he has been at the Department of Food Management, Miyagi
University. He has also been a lecturer on enzymology and alcoholic
beverages (mainly spirits and wine) at the Tokyo University of
Agriculture since 2005.
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