Production of trehalose from starch by thermostable enzymes from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

The optimum conditions for the production of trehalose from starch were investigated using two thermostable enzymes, maltooligosyl trehalose synthase (MTSase) and maltooligosyl trehalose trehalohydrolase (MTHase), from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius ATCC 33909. The optimum pH was 5.5 and the optimum temperature was 55-57 degrees C using isoamylase from Pseudomonas amyloderamosa as a debranching enzyme. The addition of CGTase to the reaction mixture during the saccharification process caused an increase in trehalose and a decrease in maltose and maltotriose. Isoamylase was better than pullulanase as a debranching enzyme. The yield of trehalose was independent of the type of starch used. Under optimum conditions, the yield of trehalose from corn starch at 30% concentration was more than 82%.