Investigation of Affinity and Preservation Ability of Trehalose Glycopolymer toward α-Amylase

Trehalose is a well-known preservation agent for various biomolecules, but the mechanism by which it achieves this function remains unclear. Trehalose glycopolymers with various sugar densities were utilized for affinity analysis and preservation assays with α-amylase. Strong affinity and weak preservation ability were observed when glycopolymers with excess sugar density were applied. In contrast, weak affinity and strong preservation abilities were observed when glycopolymers featuring appropriate sugar densities were used. These results indicated that the affinity was not correlated with preservation ability under heated conditions. It was important for the trehalose glycopolymer to form a densely-packed trehalose glycocluster, regardless of affinity, to achieve preferable preservation properties.