Effect of finger millet (Eleusine coracana, Indaf-15) malt esterases on the functional characteristics of non-starch polysaccharides

Acetic acid esterase (AAE) (E.C 3.1.1.6) and ferulic acid esterase (FAE) (E.C 3.1.1.73) cleaves the acetyl groups substituted at O-2/O-3 of the xylan backbone and feruloyl groups substituted at 5′–OH group of arabinosyl residues, respectively of arabinoxylans. These enzymes modulate the functional properties of cereal arabinoxylans such as viscosity, foam stabilization and gelling. In the present study, water-soluble non-starch polysaccharides (WSPs) from ragi, wheat flours were isolated, and their functional characteristics were studied in the presence of purified esterases. Relative viscosities of the enzyme treated WSPs were marginally less than the untreated ones. Untreated WSPs from wheat and ragi were found to stabilize the thermal disruption of protein foams compared to the esterase treated ones. AAE treated WSPs of wheat and ragi showed increased gelation while FAE treated ones showed slight decrease in comparison with their respective controls. Xanthan gum (XG), which was deacetylated by purified AAE, showed improved gelation (ratio of relative viscosities for 0, 1 and 2 h of control and enzyme treated blend is 1:1.16, 1:1.35 and 1:1.20, respectively) when blended with locust bean gum (LBG).