Amylase assay

What is amylase?

Amylases are hydrolase enzymes responsible for breaking down starch into simple sugars (maltose, glucose). The main types are:

• Alpha-amylases: random cleavage of alpha-1,4 bonds
• Beta-amylases: release maltose at the end of the chain
• Gamma-amylases or glucoamylases: also hydrolyze alpha-1,6 bonds

Their activity is essential in many industrial processes, particularly in nutrition, agri-food, biotechnology, enzyme formulation, and plant production.

Why measure amylase activity?

Amylase levels allow us to:

• Evaluate the enzymatic quality of a plant extract or active ingredient
• Validate the functional performance of enzymatic formulations (supplements, premixes, additives)
• Controlling manufacturing consistency in industrial processes (bread making, brewing, starch production)
• Optimize the storage or usage conditions of an enzyme solution
• To study the biological activity of certain plant extracts rich in natural enzymes

This is a critical indicator for applications in human and animal nutrition, but also in the production of functional ingredients or fermented beverages.

Method of analysis

The enzymatic activity of amylases is measured by a spectrophotometric enzymatic method, generally based on:

• Colorimetric detection of starch hydrolysis products
• Measuring the increase in absorbance related to the formation of reducing sugars or the use of chromogenic substrates

This method is recognized for its simplicity, reproducibility and accuracy, and can be adapted to different matrices after extraction.

Affected matrices

Amylase activity analyses are applicable to a variety of matrices:

• Raw or purified plant extracts
• Enzyme food supplements (capsules, tablets, powders)
• Technical ingredients or nutritional premixes
• Agri-food or starchy raw materials
• Bread products or industrial preparations
• Stabilized or lyophilized enzyme solutions

The results are usually expressed in units of enzyme activity (U/mg, U/g or U/mL).

Industrial applications

Amylase testing is useful for:

• Quality control and stability of enzymatic products
• Targeted formulation based on enzymatic needs (digestion, biotransformation, etc.)
• Development of plant-based digestive supplements
• Monitoring of biotechnological or fermentation processes

It is part of a logic of analytical and functional control of products derived from biotechnologies and natural extracts.

Why choose YesWeLab?

YesWeLab centralizes your analysis requests by relying on a network of specialized partner laboratories, selected for their expertise in enzymology, biochemistry and quality control.

We guarantee you:

• Methods validated according to industry standards
• Accredited laboratories (ISO 17025, COFRAC…)
• Fast support tailored to your production or development constraints
• Personalized scientific support, from method selection to interpretation of results
• A simple digital platform to manage your requests, reports, and analysis history

Do you want to measure the amylase activity of your extracts or formulations?

Contact YesWeLab to schedule a customized analysis or request a quote directly from our platform.