Function of Ptyalin Enzymes in Carbohydrate Digestion

Function of Ptyalin Enzymes in Carbohydrate Digestion

Function of Ptyalin Enzymes - In the process of digesting carbohydrates, digestive organs secrete various types of enzymes to help speed up the process of food absorption. The enzymes that have a role in the process of digesting carbohydrates are called carbohydrate enzymes. Among the enzymes of carbohydrate, ptyaline enzyme and amylase enzyme are the 2 enzymes with the greatest influence. Ptyalin enzyme itself is actually the same type of enzyme as the amylase enzyme, but it works first in the oral cavity, whereas the amylase enzyme is specifically produced only by the pancreas.


Function of Ptyalin Enzyme

Ptyalin enzyme is an amylase enzyme produced by the salivary glands (salivary glands) whereas the saliva it produces is a product containing various enzymes including one of which is the ptyalin enzyme. Ptyalin enzymes are sometimes also called alpha-amylase enzymes. The role and function of this ptyalin enzyme is as a catalyst or product that can accelerate the process of hydrolyzing carbohydrates into simple sugars in the digestive system of food.

Function of Ptyalin Enzyme


The function of ptyaline enzymes is to remodel or degrade starch (starch) into simpler carbohydrate structures such as maltose. With the reshuffle of starch is done ptyalin enzyme is the carbohydrate can be absorbed by the body and flowed by the blood throughout the body into energy that can be used to perform daily activities.

Unlike other types of amylase enzymes, the function of ptyaline enzymes is limited to the ability to reshape polysaccharides into maltose with shorter bonds. The ptyalin enzyme can not hydrolyze the disaccharide structure into simple sugars. The ability of hydrolysis and decomposition of short chain carbohydrate structures is performed by other digestive enzymes. Therefore, it can be said that ptyalin enzymes can only convert carbohydrates into simple sugars at the disaccharide level.

Producer of Ptyalin Enzyme and Its Work Mechanism

As already explained above that ptyalin enzyme is only produced by salivary glands, the chamber is located in the oral cavity. Food that enters the mouth automatically stimulates the salivary glands to produce saliva. Saliva itself is a very rich ingredient of ptyalin enzymes.

The ptyalin enzyme in saliva breaks down the carbohydrate arrangement into glucose (short chain) just as the food starts to chew. The reshuffle process lasted long enough that sometimes before the ptyalin enzyme completed its task, the food had been swallowed into the throat. However, the ptyalin enzyme that falls in the throat will still work before the food enters the stomach.

Ptyalin enzyme is an enzyme that can work in the room with high pH will stop its activity when entering the stomach that in fact has a high acidity level. However, while still working in the throat, the results and workings of the ptyalin enzyme are only able to reach a small portion of the starch present in the diet. Most of the remaining starch will be further hydrolyzed by the amylase enzyme produced by the pancreas.

We can improve the performance of ptyalin enzymes by chewing our food longer to give ptyalin a chance to do its job. The real proof that ptyalin works is the emergence of the sweetness of the rice we chew for a long time. By chewing food slowly to gently, in addition to optimizing the process of digestion mechanically, we also have made it easy for the digestive organs work in the next part in digesting carbohydrates chemically.


Such is the present exposition of the function of ptyalin enzyme and its mechanism of action. Hopefully it can be understood easily and if you have any questions about this subject please put it in the comments field. May be useful.

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2 Responses to "Function of Ptyalin Enzymes in Carbohydrate Digestion"

  1. Does research show that better chewing of food (increased Ptyalin) result in decreased secretion of Amylase ? My Blood test is showing Amylase is pretty high, so is chewing food and making it liquid with enough saliva the right way so that the pancreas doesn't have to secrete more Amylase?

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  2. Thanx for the beautiful explaination

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