Will cellulose or amylase break down cellulose\starch?

[MNicol]

Hey guys,

I'm doing a project for my criminology course on fraud and secure documentation. Important legal documents, bonds, trusts and some stock certificates use UNSTARCHED linen/cotton paper to print on. You can tell if it's real or not by the starch's (if present) reaction to iodine. My question is, wouldn't you be able to use an enzyme like amylase or cellulose to break down the starch and leave no reaction to the iodine? This is a very interesting topic.

Thanks for the help,
Maury

[bw800402]

if the paper is made up of starch to soem extent and you dissolve the starch, don't you think it would damgae the paper considerably?