The hydrolysis of wheaten hay hemicellulose by a purified enzyme from rumen microorganisms.

Abstract

An enzyme hydrolyzing a largely insoluble preparation of hemicellulose from wheaten hay was purified from sheep rumen microflora. The enzyme catalysed the hydrolysis of hemicellulose to xylose, xylobiose, xylotriose, and higher oligosaccharides together with glucose and arabinose. Enzyme activity was rapidly destroyed by heating at temperatures above 40¦ and by raising the pH above the optimum of 6.0. Purified enzyme preparations did not hydrolyse starch or cellulose. A partial inhibition of hemicellulase activity was observed in the presence of p-chloromercuribenzoate.