Bloat in cattle

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Abstract
Cell-free extracts have been prepared from virtually pure cultures of Epidinium ecaudatum Crawley, a protozoon which may be abundant in the rumen of cows feeding on red clover. Water extracts contain an amylase while phosphate buffer extracts contain the same amylase together with a less soluble maltase and occasionally a cellobiase. Invertase and β-glucosidase were absent from the extracts which were also unable to hydrolyse lactose, melibiose, α-trehalose and cellulose. The amylase has been shown to be an α-amylase with optimum activity in the pH range 5.3–6.5 and in the temperature range 37°–45°c. The final products of the action of the amylase on starch are maltose (major component) and glucose and maltotriose (minor components). Intact clover-starch granules were apparently hydrolysed by the amylase but potato-starch granules were not attacked.