Digestion Of Carbohydrates

Digestion Of Carbohydrates

Digestion of carbohydrates.
Answer.

Digestion Of Carbohydrates

• Digestion In Mouth
  • Digestion of carbohydrates starts in the mouth where they come in contact with saliva during mastication
  • Saliva contains a carbohydrate splitting enzyme called salivary amylase (ptyalin)
  • Salivary amylase requires chloride ion for its activity and optimum pH of 6.7
  • It breaks down starch and glycogen into glucose and maltose

Digestion of Carbohydrates: Process and Key Enzymes

• Digestion In Stomach
  • No carbohydrate splitting enzymes are present in the gastric juice
  • Some dietary sucrose may be hydrolysed to glucose and fructose by HCL

Carbohydrate Digestion: Enzymes, Absorption, and Metabolism

• Digestion In Duodenum
  • The food reaches duodenum from the stomach, where it meets pancreatic juice
  • Pancreatic juice contains a carbohydrate splitting enzyme pancreatic amylase
  • Pancreatic amylase acts at a pH of 7.1 and requires chloride ion for its activity
  • It breaks down starch and glycogen into glucose and maltose

How Carbohydrates Are Digested in the Human Body

• Digestion In Small Intestine
  Intestinal juice contains the following enzymes
  • Intestinal amylase
    It acts at a pH of 5.5 to 6 and breaks down starch and glycogen to glucose and maltose
  • Lactase
    It acts at a pH of 5.4 to 6 and breaks down lactose to glucose and galactose
  • Maltase
    It acts at a pH of 5.8 to 6.2 and breaks down maltose into 2 units of glucose
  • Sucrase
    It acts at a pH of 5 to 7 and breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose