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Scientists Convert Cellulose into Amylose Starch
Natureworldnews, By: Staff Reporter, 04/17/2013
Scientists have now found a way to convert cellulose to starch, a process that can be used to obtain food from all kinds of plants and not just food crops. Cellulose is found in all plant cells and is the most common carbohydrate in the world. However, humans can't use cellulose as a food source as they lack the enzymes to break it down. In fact, no vertebrate can digest cellulose directly due to the lack of necessary enzymes. However, animals like cows, sheep and goats have symbiotic bacteria in their intestinal tract that help them digest the carbohydrate.
The study, led by Y.H. Percival Zhang, an associate professor from Virginia Tech, has found a way to obtain food from plants that could reduce the burden on agriculture. The study team produced a kind of starch from cellulose called amylase, which is a good source of dietary fiber.
For more on this story visit www.natureworldnews.com
2013-04-18 07:30:24
Source: http://soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/scientists-convert-cellulose-amylose-starch
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