Amylase

Description

A group of enzymes that breakdown Starch into its basic sugars, such as Maltose or Glucose. Amylase enzymes are used in baking, fermentation, textile sizing and for stain removal. They have been used in conservation for the removal of starch adhesives.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Amylase (Deut.); amylase (Fr., Ned.); amylaza (Pol.); amylas (Sven.)

CAS	9014-71-5

Hazards and Safety

Contact may cause irritation.

Additional Information

D.Grattan, J.St.Hilaire, H.Burgess, J.McCawley, "The Characterization of Enzymes for Use in Paper Conservation" in Conservation of Library and Archive Materials and the Graphic Arts, ed. G.Petherbridge, London: Butterworths, 1987, p.15-24.

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Richard C. Wolbers, Nanette T. Sterman, Chris Stavroudis, Notes for Workshop on New Methods in the Cleaning of Paintings, J.Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 1990

• The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 640

• External source or communication Comment: DISTLIST 25 Jan 2002 ...a-Amylase Type x1-B Crude (from Bacillus Species) at 40 deg C for 2 hours...

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amylase (Accessed Mar. 20, 2006) -for non-English terms