Amylase is a powerful digestive enzyme, also important to fermentation. In saliva, it initiates digestion by decomposing starches into sugars. It's found in mammals like humans, dogs and elephants, and nourishes seed sprouts.
Amylase and What it Does
Amylase exists in two major forms. Salivary amylase or ptyalin is produced in the salivary glands. Pancreatic amylase is released by the pancreas into the small intestine.
The action of amylase begins the digestive process. It converts complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars like maltose and dextrin. Amylase decomposes starches through hydrolysis (breakdown by water) of glycosidic bonds.
From the moment food enters the mouth, salivary amylase begins to hydrolyze starches. Salivary amylase digests almost a third of carbohydrates before food reaches the stomach.
As the food bolus travels down the esophagus to the stomach and then to the small intestine, pancreatic amylase takes over. The results are disaccharides like maltose, and oligosaccharides.
Oligosaccharides are compounds of three to ten simple sugars. All mammals have unique oligosaccharide profiles. These compounds are further digested into glucose by enzymes in the intestinal lining.
In the small intestine, pancreatic amylase deconstructs longer-chain sugars into smaller structures like maltose. Maltose is a component of malt, made when grain is softened in water and starts to germinate.
It is also found in varying amounts in partially hydrolyzed starch products such as maltodextrin, corn syrup, and acid-thinned starch. It's converted to glucose by the enzyme maltase.
Amylase reduces dietary starches in mammals including humans, dogs, cats, horses, cows and elephants. In dogs and cats, high levels of amylase help digest carbohydrates from diets abundant in grains.
Herbivores wild and domestic need amylase to process starches properly. Yeasts sometimes show up in animal feces due to the simple sugars expelled by the body, the end result of the starch breakdown process.
In plants, amylase helps with seed germination. It separates stored starches into sugars, generally glucose, to fuel the growth of seedlings.
Some insects produce amylase. Mealworms and many caterpillars have this enzyme in their saliva, allowing them to metabolize starch from the plants they eat.
In soil, microbes like fungi and bacteria produce the enzyme to decompose organic matter. Decomposition is necessary for ecosystem nutrient cycling, making complex carbohydrates available in simpler forms to organisms.
Amylase in Fermentation
Amylase is important to fermentation, the production of beer and wine, as well as in baking. During the brewing process, malted grains high in starch are mixed with water and heated.
Heat activates the amylase in the grain, breaking down starches into fermentable sugars like glucose. Yeasts then convert those sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. In sake, amylase breaks down rice starch.
In baking, amylase helps transform flour starches into sugars the yeast can ferment. CO2 released by the yeast causes the rising of bread. Ethanol and esters also produced by the yeast influence flavor and texture.
In food production, it's often added to baked goods to improve texture and quality. In the textile and paper industries, amylase is used for starch degradation.
Facts About Amylase
Multiple Sources: Amylase can be found in primates, bats, rodents, and some reptiles.
Genetic Variation: Amylase production is genetically regulated and varies among populations, especially between agrarian communities with starch-heavy diets and those with protein-centric diets.
Diagnostic Applications: Excess levels of amylase can be an indicator of certain medical conditions, such as pancreatitis.
In the cleaning industry, amylase in detergents helps remove starch-based stains from fabric.
Variations of Amylase: There are different types of amylase, such as alpha-amylase and beta-amylase. Each type has functions suited to specific roles.
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