Detection of amylase activity from fruit and vegetables in an undergraduate classroom.
Laloknam S., Sirisopana S., Attaphinyo P., Poohuarai S., Phornphisutthimas S.
Author Affiliation: Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.
Asian Journal of Food and Agro-Industry 2 : 402-411
Abstract : This research aimed to construct a hands-on activity for undergraduate students to understand how to detect and compare amylase activity from various sources by using a simple method. The amylolytic activity of extracts from 10 kinds of vegetables, Chinese white vegetable, tomato, cucumber, pumpkin, pea eggplant, carrot, cabbage, morning glory, Chinese broccoli, and yard long bean as well as 10 kinds of fruit, rose apple, pineapple, papaya, water melon, apple, cantaloupe, mango, jackfruit, orange and pomelo were performed by measuring the size of the clear zone around a hole that contained those extracts on 1% (w/v) starch agar, incubated for 30 min at room temperature and with added iodine solution. The results showed that all samples represented amylolytic activity but that the extracts from pomelo, orange, yard long bean, cabbage, and morning glory showed the 5 highest activities. Students can also use their knowledge to test their samples containing amylolytic activity following the role of pH and temperature. After teaching by this constructivist model, students had gained better understanding, assessed by using 10 open-ended questions as pre- and posttests. Students were allowed to detect their sample extracts and compare with other student groups after class.