The present invention relates to a method for stabilising an aqueous solution of -amylase, in particular by the use of glycerol, potassium sorbate and sodium carbonate. The cocktail of additives is particularly effective at maintaining the enzymatic activity of -amylase over time. Another aim of the present invention consists of using the cocktail for the specific function of maintaining the enzymatic activity of the -amylase. Another aim of the present invention is to provide an aqueous solution of -amylase containing the aforementioned cocktail. A final aim of the present invention consists of using the -amylase aqueous solution in bread-making, in malting, as a food additive, as a digestive agent, for sweetener production, in pharmacy and, finally, for maltose and maltose-enriched syrup production.

The invention relates to a process for preparing a liquid oat base or drink from an oat derived material. The process comprises a first enzymation of the oat derived material, heating the oat derived material to terminate the enzymation thereof, and a second enzymation of the oat derived material. The first and/or the second enzymation comprises contacting the oat derived material with starch degrading enzyme, and the first and/or second enzymation further comprises contacting the oat derived material with protein solubilizing enzyme.

The invention also relates to a system for preparing a liquid oat base or drink from an oat derived material.

A recombinant yeast strain comprising a strain of S. cerevisiae is disclosed. The strain is capable of co-fermenting maltose and glucose; the strain expresses an exogenous beta-amylase gene. The beta-amylase gene may be fused to a starch binding domain from a gene encoding a glucoamylase. The strain may comprise a glucoamylase gene from P. oxalicum. The strain may comprise a maltogenic alpha-amylase gene from L. plantarum S21. The strain may be used to co-ferment maltose and glucose contained in starch from corn mash with or without added exogenous glucoamylase. The strain has demonstrated enhanced efficiency including accelerated transition from fermentation of glucose to fermentation of maltose. The strain has been shown to facilitate improved/enhanced polysaccharide breakdown. The strain will facilitate efficient co-fermentation of maltose and glucose from feedstocks as to be an alternative to known commercial yeast strains used to produce fuel ethanol.

To provide a technique for improving the shape-retainability of a plant-base ice cream.

The technique provides an enzyme preparation for improving the shape-retainability of a plant-base ice cream, which contains one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of maltotriose-producing amylase, lipase, and -amylase, and a plant-base ice cream using the enzyme preparation for improving the shape-retainability. The technique also provides a method for producing a plant-base ice cream and a method for improving the shape-retainability of a plant-base ice cream, which include one or more steps selected from a maltotriose-producing amylase action step of allowing maltotriose-producing amylase to act on a carbohydrate-containing plant-base material, a lipase action step of allowing lipase to act on a fat-containing plant-base material, and a -amylase action step of allowing -amylase to act.

An object is to obtain a -amylase having heat resistance even to high temperatures exceeding 60 C. By screening -amylase producing bacteria from a soil sample, a novel Bacillus halosaccharovorans strain having a novel -amylase with heat resistance and the -amylase from the novel B. halosaccharovorans strain were obtained.