Claims
        
                - 1. A process for determining the activity of .alpha.-amylase in a sample which comprises
 
                - using as a substrate for .alpha.-amylase a modified oligosaccharide of the formula: ##STR18## wherein R.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of the formula (III): ##STR19## in which R.sup.3 through R.sup.6 are independently hydrogen, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a nitro group, a carboxyl groups, a sulfonic acid group or a halogen atoms, and R.sup.3 and R.sup.5 or R.sup.4 and R.sup.6, together with the ring toms to which they are attached may form a fused aromatic ring; R.sup.7 is hydrogen, a lower alkoxy group, a halogen atom or a nitro group; R.sup.8 is hydrogen, a methyl group or a trifluoromethyl group; R.sup.9 is a hydrogen or a halogen atom,
 
                - contacting said sample with said substrate in the presence of at least one exo-enzyme, and
 
                - measuring an optically measurable change as a measure of .alpha.-amlase activity in said sample.
 
                - 2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the modified oligosaccharide is represented by the formula: ##STR20##
 
                - 3. A process for determining the activity of .alpha.-amylase in a sample which comprises:
 
                - using as a substrate for .alpha.- amylase a modified oligosaccharide of the formula (I) ##STR21##  wherein R.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of formula (III) ##STR22##  in which R.sup.3 through R.sup.6 are independently hydrogen, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a nitro group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group or a halogen atom, nd R.sup.3 and R.sup.5 or R.sup.4 and R.sup.6, together with the ring atoms to which they are attached may form a fused aromatic ring; R.sup.7 is hydrogen, a lower alkoxy group, a halogen atom or a nitro group; R.sup.8 is a hydrogen, a methyl or a trifluormethyl group; R.sup.9 is a hydrogen or a halogen atom, said modified oligosaccharide of formula (I) being produced by reacting cyclodextrin having one 6-O-benzyl substituent with cyclomaltodextrin-glucanotransferase in the presence of an acceptor selected from the group consisting of glucose, maltose, maltotriose, said acceptro having a 1-O-substituent selected from the group consisting of p-nitrophenyl, phenyl, umbeliferyl and naphthyl at the reducing-end glucose residue, and then reacting with glucoamylase or .alpha.-glucosidase;
 
                - contacting said sample with said substrate in the presence of at least one exo-enzyme, and
 
                - measuring an optically measurable change as a measure of .alpha.-amylase activity in said sample.
 
                - 4. A process for determining the activity of .alpha.-amylase in a sample which comprises:
 
                - using as a substrate got .alpha.-amylase a modified oligosaccharide of the formula (I) ##STR23##  wherein R.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of formula (III) ##STR24##  in which R.sup.3 through R.sup.6 are independently hydrogen, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a nitro group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group or a halogen atom, and R.sup.3 and R.sup.5 or R.sup.4 and R.sup.6, together with the ring atoms to which they are attached may form a fused aromatic ring; R.sup.7 is hydrogen, a lower alkoxy group, a halogen atom or a nitro group R.sup.8 is a hydrogen, a methyl or a trifluoromethyl group; R.sup.9 is a hydrogen or a halogen atom, said modified oligosaccharide of formula (I) being produced by reacting an oligosaccharide having a substituent R.sup.2 according to formula (III) which exhibits an optically measurable change upon cleavage at the reducing-end glucose residue with benzaldehyde or benzaldehyde dimethylacetal, followed by reduction of the 4,6-O-benzylidene moiety by reaction with a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of sodium cyanoborohydride, lithium aluminum hydride, pyridineborane, dimethylamineborane, trimethylamineborane, t-butylamineborane and diborane, in the presence of an acid catalyst;
 
                - contacting said sample with said substrate in the presence of at least one exo-enzyme, and
 
                - measuring an optically measurable change as a measure of .alpha.-amylase activity in said sample.
 
        
                        Priority Claims (3)
        
            
                
                    | Number | 
                    Date | 
                    Country | 
                    Kind | 
                
            
            
                    
                        | 61-163054 | 
                        Jul 1986 | 
                        JPX | 
                         | 
                    
                    
                        | 62-2730 | 
                        Jan 1987 | 
                        JPX | 
                         | 
                    
                    
                        | 62-15776 | 
                        Jan 1987 | 
                        JPX | 
                         | 
                    
            
        
                        Parent Case Info
        This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 072,208, filed Jul. 10, 1987, now abandoned.
                
                
                
                            US Referenced Citations (4)
            
            Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
            
                
                    
                        | Number | 
                        
                        Date | 
                        Country | 
                    
                
                
                        
                            | 0171960A1 | 
                            
                            Feb 1986 | 
                            EPX | 
                        
                        
                            | 0173255A3 | 
                            
                            Mar 1986 | 
                            EPX | 
                        
                        
                            | 3000292 | 
                            
                            Jul 1981 | 
                            DEX | 
                        
                        
                            | 0237998 | 
                            
                            Nov 1985 | 
                            JPX | 
                        
                
            
            Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
            
                
                    
                        | Entry | 
                    
                
                
                        
                            | Ohmichi et al., Chemical Abstracts, vol. 103, No. 1, Jul. 8, 1989, p. 256, Abstract 2743p. | 
                        
                
            
                        Continuations (1)
        
            
                
                     | 
                    Number | 
                    Date | 
                    Country | 
                
            
            
    
        | Parent | 
            72208 | 
        Jul 1987 | 
         |