α-Amylase activity against intact starch granules purified from soft wheat kernels (“Florida 302”) was increased 119-fold when the granules were extensively homogenized in a ground glass homogenizer. Activity against granules damaged by grinding in a mortar and pestle or a mechanical grinder was also increased. Presence of a detergent (Triton X-100) in the grinding buffer gave only a slight increase (14%) in susceptibility. Studies comparing the activity of α-amylase and crude gut homogenates of S. oryzae indicated that α-amylase is the primary enzyme that attacks granular starch in the gut. In addition, we could find no evidence that α-amylases from S. oryzae bind for a relatively long duration to intact or mechanically damaged granules from Florida 302.