A note on the amylolytic breakdown of some raw algal starches

Summary

With the aid of 5 different amylases (bacterial a.,Cryptochiton a., malt a., pancreatic a. and salivary a.), an optical and biochemical study was made of the amylolytic breakdown of 8 raw algal starches. The latter were obtained from the red algaeConstantinea, Laurencia, Plocamium andRhodymenia and from the green algaeCodium, Hydrodictyon, Spirogyra andUlva. Starches fromCanna, potato, wheat and the mossMnium affine were used as reference materials.

Both the moss starch and the algal starches were more easily digestible than the higher plant starches. Depending on the particular amylase used, their order of vulnerability varied somewhat; however,Ulva starch proved to be the most easily digestible material in all cases. Optically, there was no essential difference between the breakdown of native floridean starch and that of native wheat starch; the concentric regularity of the granules as well as the pronounced organization in radial direction were brought out beautifully by the corrosion phenomena. The slight differences in vulnerability noted when florideau starches fromConstantinea, Plocamium andRhodymenia were compared may be attributable to a difference in particle size.