Unlocking the potential of dietary starch with exogenous α-amylase

Glucose is central to energy metabolism in poultry and swine and is efficiently converted into ATP via the Citric Acid Cycle for use in various energy-demanding processes. The vast majority of glucose that is ingested by pigs and poultry is in the form of starch, usually from various cereal grains. Starch is a polymer of glucose that consists of α-1,4 and/or α-1,6 bonds. Where α-1,4 bonds occur between glucose monomers the resulting polymer is called amylose whereas when α-1,6 bonds occur the resulting polymer is referred to as amylopectin. Due to the orientation of the adjacent glucose monomers in the amylose polymer a natural helix develops with a hydrophilic external face and a hydrophobic core. These amylose helixes readily form crystals which are moderately insoluble and fairly inaccessible to enzyme digestion. Amylopectin on the other hand has a more chaotic macro-structure as the α-1,6 branching points disrupt the helical structure creating amorphous regions often referred to as ‘waxy’.