Know the Various Enzymes in Human Digestion

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Have you ever wondered how food is digested in the body after you are full? The process of digestion of food in the body is controlled by a group of enzymes in the digestion. Enzymatic digestion starts from the mouth and continues into the intestine, where all the food will be converted into simpler particles and then excreted by the body. Every organ in the digestive system has an enzyme that performs its respective functions.

Know the enzymes in the digestive tract

The body's metabolism is controlled by a group of digestive enzymes, produced by various organs of the digestive system. Digestive enzymes play a role in regulating and maintaining the functioning of the digestive system.

All digestive enzymes are hydrolases, a chemical reaction involving the addition of water molecules to break chemical bonds and enzymes.

Digestive enzymes act as catalysts (accelerating the rate of chemical reactions) for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to be simpler forms. In addition, enzymes in the digestion include extracellular enzymes that mix with food as it passes through the intestine.

Digestion of food depends on various enzymes hydrolase produced by cells that line the intestines as well as related organs such as the pancreas. The ultimate goal is to break up large food molecules into very small units. Then the simple form can be easily and quickly absorbed through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream to be transported to the liver and to other body parts.

Enzymes in digestion are broadly classified into four groups, including:

Proteolytic enzymes: break down proteins into amino acids
Lipolytic enzymes: break down fat into fatty acids and glycerol
Amylolytic enzymes: break down carbohydrates and starches into simple sugars
Nucleolytic enzymes: break down nucleic acids into nucleotides

Various kinds of enzymes in the digestion

Your digestive system breaks down the nutrients you consume in food, turning it into a simple form that your cells, tissues, and organs use as fuel and for hundreds of metabolic functions.

It takes hours to complete this complex process, which produces simple sugars, fatty acids, glycerol and amino acids. Once you break the food into small pieces by chewing it, special enzymes made from your digestive tract work to complete the process.

1. Mouth

The oral cavity contains salivary glands (saliva). The salivary glands secrete lysozyme, betaine, bromelain, and amylase enzymes.

The lysozyme enzyme has antibacterial properties, which can provide protection against bacteria. Beta enzymes function in maintaining the balance of cell fluid as osmolite. Bromelain has anti-inflammatory properties.

While the amylase enzyme is a digestive enzyme that acts on starch in food, break it down into smaller carbohydrate forms. The amylase enzyme is made by the salivary glands in the mouth, which begin the digestion process by breaking up starch as you chew food and turn it into maltose, a smaller carbohydrate.

When starchy foods like rice or potatoes start to break in your mouth, you may detect a slightly sweet taste when maltose is released.

2. Stomach

The stomach secretes hydrochloric acid (HCl) which kills bacteria and provides an acidic environment for enzymatic activity ie protease enzymes.

The protease enzyme is an enzyme that breaks down proteins into smaller molecules such as amino acids. The digestive tract produces a number of protease enzymes, but there are three major protease enzymes: pepsin, trypsin, and kimotripsin. However, the resulting organs of the stomach is the enzyme pepsin.

Special cells in the stomach produce an inactive enzyme, pepsinogen, which turns into pepsin when it contacts the acidic environment in your stomach. Pepsin breaks down certain chemical bonds in proteins, producing smaller molecules called peptides.

In addition, the cells in your stomach also make other enzymes that are renin, gelatinase and gastric lipase. Renin converts the protein in milk, converting it into smaller molecules called peptides, which are then completely digested by pepsin.

Gelatinase digests gelatin and collagen (two large proteins in the meat) into a medium-sized compound whose digestion is then supplemented by pepsin, trypsin and kimotrypsin, producing amino acids. Lipase of the stomach specifically digests the butter fat in your diet.

3. Pancreas

The pancreas is the organ of the gastrointestinal tract that is the main source of lipase enzymes. Lipase is an enzyme that breaks down fat into smaller molecules called fatty acids and glycerol. Pancreatic lipase enzyme works in your small intestine.

First, bile is made in your liver and released into the intestines to convert fatty foods into small fat clumps. Then, these fat clots are converted into fatty acids and glycerol, by pancreatic lipases also called steapsin.

Fatty acids and glycerol are energy-dense small molecules used by all your cells. The flow of fatty acids and glycerol in the blood and lymph vessels can reach all parts of your body.

The cells in the pancreas also make another type of amylase, called pancreatic amylase. This enzyme that passes through the channel to reach your small intestine. Pancreatic amylase complements the digestion of carbohydrates, producing glucose, a small molecule that is absorbed into your blood and carried throughout your body.

The pancreas also makes another group of protease enzymes, trypsin and kimotripsin. Both of these enzymes are released into your small intestine through the pancreatic ducts. When partially digested food moves from your stomach to your intestines, trypsin and kimotrypsin play a role in protein digestion, producing simple amino acids that are absorbed into your bloodstream.

In addition, the pancreas also makes a group of other enzymes, including:

Phospholipase: simplifying phospholipids into fatty acids.
Carboxypeptidase: breaks down proteins into amino acids.
Elastasis: break down elastin protein.
Nuklease: breaks down nucleic acids into nucleotides and nucleosides.

4. Small intestine

The small intestine makes a group of enzymes that break down products that are digested by the pancreas. The cells that line your intestines create enzymes called maltase, sucrase, and lactase, each capable of converting certain types of sugars into glucose.

Sukrase: breaking sucrose into disaccharides and monosaccharides.
Maltase: breaking maltose into glucose.
Lactase: break down lactose into glucose and galactose.

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