Kinetics of Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Southeast Sulawesi Sago Starch

The aims of this study were to characterize the kinetics of enzymatic hydrolysis of sago starch, obtained from Southeast Sulawesi Indonesia. The enzyme used for hydrolysis was bacterial ∝-amylase (Termamyl 120L from Bacillus licheniformis, E. C. 3.2.1.1). The method to determine the initial velocity (Vo) of the hydrolysis was developed by differentiation a nonlinear equation (NLE). The Vo of the hydrolysis was measured at various pH (6.0, 6.5,and 7.0), temperatures (40, 60, 75 and 95oC), enzyme concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 µg per mL) and in the presence of 70 ppm Ca++. The optimum conditions of this experiment were found to be at pH 6.5 – 7.0 and 75oC, and the Vo increased with increasing enzyme concentration. The Vo values at various substrate concentrations were also determined, which were then used to calculate the enzymes kinetics constant of the hydrolysis, including Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vmax) using a Hanes plot. Km and Vmax values were found to be higher in the measurement at pH 7.0 and 75oC. The Km values at four different combinations of pH and temperatures (pH 6.5, 40oC; pH 6.5, 75oC; pH 7.0, 40oC; pH 7.0, 75oC) were found to be 0.86, 3.23, 0.77 and 3.83 mg/mL, respectively; and Vmax values were 17.5, 54.3, 20.3 and 57.1 µg/mL/min, respectively. The results obtained showed that hydrolysis rate of this starch was somewhat low.