Vol. 11, Special Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
Praja K Malganve, Kashinath, Dileep KC, Anupama Anand and Harpreet Kaur Saini

Abstract:
Amaranthus grains have high starch content which can be converted to sugars by malting and mashing processes. ‘Suvarna’ variety of amaranthus was screened for it’s amylase activity and reducing sugars. Grains were soaked at three different time intervals of 8 h, 12 h and 16 h and germinated subsequently for 2 and 3 days. The highest amylase activity (850.19 protein/mg/min) was recorded for amaranthus grains soaked for a time interval of 16 h and germinated for 3 days. Similarly, grains recorded the highest reducing sugars (19.71 mg/g) at a soaking time of 16 h and a germination period of 3 days. Commercial α-amylase was used at different concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 and 1 percent at different incubation temperature and incubation period to release of maximum reducing sugars. The highest reducing sugars (91.40 mg/g) were recorded at an enzyme concentration of 1 percent at 65 °C for an incubation period of 24 h. It was also observed that the reducing sugars is inversely related to inoculums levels and yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCIM3391 showed high alcohol content at 2 percent (5.450%). Alcohol content increases with increase in the fermentation days and decrease in reducing sugars. Whereas with increase in the fermentation days the PH of the beer decreases with decrease in tannin content.