Determination of glucose, fructose, sucrose by enzymatic means
Suitable for wort, beer, malt beverages, nutritive beer, beer-based beverages, NAB, juices and beverages
The D-glucose content is determined before and after enzymatic hydrolysis of sucrose. D-fructose is measured following D-glucose determination.
D-glucose determination before inversion:
Glucose is phosphorylated by the enzyme hexokinase (HK) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) to glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P):
\(\text{Glucose + ATP} \space ^{\underrightarrow{\text{HK}}} \space \text{G-6-P + ADP}\)
In the presence of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P-DH), G-6-P is oxidized from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) to gluconate-6-phosphate. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is formed:
\(\text{G-6-P + NADP} \space ^{\underrightarrow{\text{G6P-DH}}} \space \text{gluconate-6-phosphate + NADP + H}^+\)
The amount of NADPH formed during the reaction is equivalent to the amount of glucose. NADPH is measurand and is determined based on its absorbance at 334, 340 or 365 nm.
D-fructose determination:
Hexokinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of D-fructose with ATP to D-fructose-6-phosphate.
\(\text{Fructose + ATP} \space ^{\underrightarrow{\text{HK}}} \space \text{F-6-P + ADP}\)
After the reaction is complete, F-6-P is converted to G-6-P by phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI):
\(\text{F-6-P} \space ^{\underrightarrow{\text{PGI}}} \space \text{G-6-P}\)
G-6-P reacts in turn with NADP to form gluconate-6-phosphate and NADPH. The additional amount of NADPH formed is equivalent to the amount of fructose and is determined photometrically based on its absorbance at 334, 340 or 365 nm.
Enzymatic inversion:
Sucrose is hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose by the enzyme β-fructosidase (invertase) at pH 4.6:
\(\text{Sucrose}+H_2O\hspace{0.8em} ^{\underrightarrow{\text{B-fructosidase}}} \hspace{0.8em} \text{glucose + fructose}\)
The D-glucose determination after inversion (total D-glucose) is carried out as described above.
The sucrose content is calculated from the difference between the glucose concentration before and after enzymatic inversion.
Determination of sucrose by enzymatic means
Suitable for wort, beer, malt beverages, nutrient beer, mixed beer beverages, NAB, juices and beverages
Sucrose is important as a fermentable sugar for the technology of wort and beer production. Sucrose also plays a role in the evaluation and assessment of malt beverages and nutritional beers.
D-glucose content is determined before and after enzymatic hydrolysis of sucrose.
Sucrose is hydrolyzed by the enzyme β-fructosidase (invertase) at pH 4.6 to glucose and fructose:
\(\text{Sucrose + } H_2O \space {\xrightarrow{β-fructosidase}} \space \text{D-glucose + D-fructose}\)
Glucose is phosphorylated by the enzyme hexokinase (HK) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) to glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P):
\(\text{Glucose}+\text{ATP} \space \xrightarrow{HK} \space \text{G-6-P + ADP}\)
In the presence of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P-DH), G-6-P is oxidized from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) to gluconate-6-phosphate. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is formed:
\(\text{G-6-P + NADP} \hspace{0.8em} \xrightarrow{G6P-DH} \hspace{0.8em} \text{gluconate-6-phosphate + NADP + H}^+\)
The amount of NADPH formed during the reaction is equivalent to the amount of glucose. NADPH is a measurand and is determined on the basis of its absorbance at 334, 340 or 365 nm.
The sucrose content is calculated from the difference between the glucose concentration before and after enzymatic inversion.
Determination of maltose and maltotriose by enzymatic means
Suitable for wort, beer, malt beverages, nutrient beer, mixed beer beverages, NAB, juices and beverages.
Maltose is the main component of beer wort or wort extract.
Maltose and sucrose are cleaved by the enzyme α-glucosidase (maltase) at pH 6.6 into two molecules of D-glucose and D-fructose, respectively:
\(\text{Maltose}+H_2O \hspace{0.8em} \xrightarrow{α–glucosidase} \hspace{0.8em} {2 \hspace{0.2em} \text{D–glucose}}\)
\(\text{Sucrose}+H_2O \hspace{0.8em} \xrightarrow{α–glucosidase} \hspace{0.8em} {\text{D–glucose}+\text{D–fructose}}\)
The D-glucose formed is phosphorylated by the enzyme hexokinase (HK) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) to glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P):
\(\text{Glucose}+\text{ATP} \hspace{0.8em} \xrightarrow{HK} \hspace{0.8em} \text{G-6-P} \hspace{0.2em} + \hspace{0.2em} \text{ADP}\)
In the presence of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P-DH), G-6-P is oxidized from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) to gluconate-6-phosphate. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is formed:
\(\text{G-6-P} \hspace{0.2em} + \hspace{0.2em} \text{NADP}^+ \hspace{0.8em} \xrightarrow{G6P-DH} \hspace{0.8em} \text{gluconate-6-phosphate} \hspace{0.2em} + \hspace{0.2em} \text{NADP}^+ \hspace{0.2em} + \hspace{0.2em} \text{H}^+\)
The amount of NADPH formed during the reaction is equivalent to the amount of glucose. NADPH is measurand and is determined based on its absorbance at 334, 340 or 365 nm.
The enzyme α-glucosidase is group specific, i.e., the specificity is directed to the type of glycosidic bond.
Only α-1,4 bonds, i.e., in addition to maltose, sucrose and maltotriose, but not maltotetraose, are cleaved under the given conditions. Therefore, the sucrose content must be taken into account in the maltose calculation (the maltose approach records the glucose formed from maltose and sucrose and the free glucose, the sucrose approach records the glucose formed from sucrose and the free glucose).
Determination of organic acids using ion chromatography
This method is suitable for beer, wort, green beer, NAB, water and wastewater
Separation by ion chromatography followed by conductivity detection.
Determination of ethanol by enzymatic means
Suitable for beers, non-alcoholic beers, reduced-alcohol beers, beer-based drinks, NAB, juice, beverages.
Ethanol is oxidized by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in the presence of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to acetaldehyde:
Ethanol + NAD+ \(^\underleftrightarrow{Al-DH} \) acetaldehyde + NADH + H+
The equilibrium of this reaction favors the side with ethanol and NAD. In an alkaline medium and through removal of the acetaldehyde produced, the equilibrium can be shifted to favor the substances on the right side of the equation. Acetaldehyde is quantitatively oxidized to acetic acid in the presence of aldehyde dehydrogenase (Al-DH):
Acetaldehyde + NAD+ + H2O \(^\underleftrightarrow{Al-DH} \) acetic acid + NADH + H+
The amount of NADH produced in the reaction is equivalent to half of the amount of ethanol and is measured photometrically due to its absorption at wavelengths of 334, 340 or 365 nm.
Specificity of the determination [1]
The influence of aldehydes and ketones is eliminated by the order of reagent addition during the test. Methanol is not converted due to unfavorable KM values (Michaelis-Menten constant) of the enzymes used. n-propanol and n-butanol are quantitatively converted under test conditions, higher primary alcohols lead to sample-dependent creep reactions. Secondary, tertiary and aromatic alcohols do not react. Glycerin does not interfere with the test even at higher concentrations.
Determination of the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages in bottles and cans
The total gas pressure in beer is measured after the beer has been forcefully shaken. The carbon dioxide is then bound through the addition of potassium hydroxide. The amount of air in the beer contributes the remaining volume of gas. Once the value for the total pressure has been corrected by subtracting the quantity of air present in the beer, the carbon dioxide can be measured [1].