Enzymatic Evaluation of Sugar Content of Cotton

Abstract

Problems frequently occur during processing of raw cotton as a result of the build-up of deposits on the rolls and other parts of the processing machinery. These deposits have been related in part to the sugar content of cotton. A rapid method, designed for use at the plant location, was developed using a series of enzyme reactions in which the various sugars present in the cotton are converted to glucose. A second coupled enzyme reaction yields a compound which can be measured spectrophotometrically and is stoichiometrically equivalent to the amount of glucose present. This enzymatic method, which can differentiate between the types of sugars present on cotton, is characterized by simplicity, speed, sensitivity, and specificity. Applications of this enzyme assay to greige mill processing problems show tremendous potential for the textile industry.