African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (10), pp. 1095-1104, October 2005          
ISSN 1684–5315 © 2005 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Indigenous West African plants as novel sources of polysaccharide degrading enzymes: application in the reduction of the viscosity of cereal porridges

Mamoudou H. Dicko¹*, Riet Hilhorst^2,3 and Alfred S. TRAORE¹

¹Université de Ouagadougou, Laboratoire de Biochimie, CRSBAN, UFR-SVT, 03 B. P. 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina-Faso.

²Wageningen University, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Laboratory of Food Chemistry, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands.

³Present address: PamGene, PO. Box. 1345, 5200 BJ 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: mdicko@univ-ouaga.bf, Tel : +226 70272643,  Fax: +22650 33 73 73.

Accepted 8 August, 2005

Ethnobotanical and biochemical surveys revealed that some local plants from West Africa are novel sources of polysaccharide degrading enzymes such as amylases and glucanases. The study shows that these enzymes could be used for various biotechnological applications. In a crude extract of Curculigo pilosa, ß-amylase was the main starch hydrolyzing enzyme. Contrary to other plant amylases, the ß-amylase from C. pilosa is able to degrade raw starches from wheat, corn, potato and rice. In the bulbs of Gladiolus klattianus, activities of a-amylase and ß-amylase were found. Analysis of the enzyme action pattern showed that it released only maltose units from starch. Activities of a-amylase, ß-amylase, exo-(1®3, 1®4)-ß-D-glucanase and endo-(1®3)-ß-D-glucanase were detected in the leaves of Boscia senegalensis. The combined action of a saccharogenic enzyme (ß-amylase) and a dextrinizing enzyme (a-amylase) in B. senegalensis was useful to decrease the viscosity of cereal porridges and to increase their reducing sugar contents. The effective technological utilization of these higher plants as sources of carbohydrate degrading enzymes is discussed.

Key words: a-amylase, ß-amylase, ß-glucanase, yeast glucan, infant porridge, Boscia senegalensis, Gladilus klattianus, Curculigo pilosa.