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Sucrase

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What is Sucrase?

MVSAT 2024

Sucrase is a digestive enzyme that catalyzes sucrase hydrolysis into fructose and glucose. On the brush boundary of the small intestine, sucrase-isomaltase is secreted. Invertase, a sucrase enzyme found more naturally in plants, often hydrolyzes sucrose, though in a different way. Sucrase, also known as Invertase, is a group of enzymes found in yeast and animal intestinal mucosa that catalyze the hydrolysis of sucrose, or cane sugar, to the simple sugar glucose and fructose.

The SI gene gives instructions for making the sucrase-isomaltase enzyme. This sucrase enzyme breaks down sucrose and maltose into their basic sugar components in the small intestine. The small intestine then absorbs these basic sugars.

 

Function of Sucrase Digestive Enzyme 

A constant supply of energy is needed by your body. Sucrase is a carbohydrate that gives the body the energy it needs to conduct physical and mental functions. During digestion, foods like sucrose and starch are broken down into fructose and glucose. Your body metabolizes fructose and glucose to provide energy to your cells. The energy produced during metabolism aids your body in performing both physical and mental tasks.


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Uses of Sucrase 

The following are some of the compound's most significant uses:

  • One of the most common ingredients in soft drinks and other beverages is sucrase.

  • This substance is used in a variety of pharmaceutical products.

  • Many emulsifying agents and detergents use it as a chemical intermediate.

  • It may also be used as a thickening agent and a food stabilizer.

  • This compound helps to prolong the shelf life of many food items, such as jams and jellies.

  • The brown colour of baked goods is due to the use of sucrase in baking.

  • This substance is also an antioxidant (a compound that inhibits oxidation).

  • Sucrase is commonly used in the food industry as a preservative.

 

Where Can Sucrase Isomaltase Be Found in the Human Body?

SI (sucrase-isomaltase) is a partially incorporated integral protein found in the small intestine's brush line. SI is in charge of catalyzing the hydrolysis of starch, sucrase, and isomaltase, among other dietary carbohydrates.

The Function of Sucrase Isomaltase:

SI (sucrase isomaltase) is a partially incorporated integral protein found in the small intestine's brush line. SI is in charge of catalyzing the hydrolysis of starch, sucrase, and isomaltase, among other dietary carbohydrates. After further processing, this hydrolysis results in the production of ATP. The brush border is essential for the functional absorption of minerals and amino acids, which allows the body to use them properly. The boundary is made up of millions of microvilli that range in size from 100 to 2,000 nanometers in diameter. Because of the wide surface area available for touch, absorption is successful in this region.

Other important enzymes in the small intestine that take advantage of this feature include glucoamylase (Maltase), lactase, and peptidases. SI is one of these common enzymes, and it's essential because it's involved in the final stage of carbohydrate digestion. This enzyme specifically catalyzes the conversion of isomaltose to glucose molecules. SI interacts with glycosidic linkages formed by alpha-amylase by cleaving bonds with water (hydrolysis).

 

Sucrase Deficiency in Adults

Sucrase has both positive and negative health effects. Sucrase consumption ensures that the body receives the proper amount of sugar. High glucose levels that are uncontrolled can lead to sugar-related diseases like diabetes. Obesity may also develop as a result of excess sugar being converted to fat, which is then retained in adipose tissue and around your joints and organs. The buildup of body fat may have a detrimental impact on your nervous system and veins. Fat deposits on the walls of your blood vessels may cause complications by blocking or constricting them, eventually leading to high blood pressure.

Increased bowel movement (BM) frequency, decreased stool consistency (looser stools or watery stools), abdominal distention (swelling), and flatulence (gas) may be the only symptoms in some adults, though episodes of watery diarrhoea may also occur after consuming a meal high in sucrose. Diarrhoea and constipation can occur in some CSID patients, particularly when taking common antidiarrheal medications, leading to a misdiagnosis of another GI disorder, such as alternating or mixed-type irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-A).


Sucrase Deficiency Treatment

The Sucrase Digestive Enzyme Replacement Therapy:

Sucraid (sacrosidase) Oral Solution, an enzyme replacement therapy, is a pharmacologic option for sucrase-free limited diets. Sucraid is the only FDA-approved treatment for CSID, which is caused by a genetically defined sucrase deficiency. Sucraid was approved by the FDA after two clinical trials showed that sarcosinate could substantially reduce breath hydrogen, a measure of GI symptoms in CSID patients when they were given a regular sucrose-containing diet. With the sarcosinate replacement of sucrase, 81 percent of 28 children with CSID aged 5 months to 11 years were asymptomatic in a clinical trial that quantified treatment responses.

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FAQs on Sucrase

1. What is Dextran Sucrase ?

Ans. In enzymology, a dextran sucrase is a protein that catalyzes the chemical reaction sucrase. Also, Dextran sucrases are extracellular proteins that serve a dual purpose by forming the initial polymer and introducing various types of branch points – no other enzymes are needed. This enzyme is a member of the glycosyltransferases family, specifically hexosyl transferase. Sucrase:1,6-alpha-D-glucan 6-alpha-D-glucosyltransferase is the scientific name for this enzyme class. Sucrase 6-glucosyltransferase is also known as SGE, CEP, and sucrase-1,6-alpha-glucan glucosyltransferase. This enzyme is involved in the metabolism of starch and sucrase, as well as the two-component system in general.

2. What are Sucrase Intolerance Symptoms?

Ans. The most common symptoms of sucrase intolerance are:

  • Sucrase allergy symptoms normally appear after feeding. This occurs because the intestine is full of sugar-loving bacteria and other species (part of our microbiome). These species feed when presented with a buffet of sugars in foods.

  • Gases are formed when the bacteria that usually live in our gut eat the sugar. This makes a person feel gassy and bloated, as well as trigger pain.

  • Diarrhoea is also normal due to the intestine's reaction to sugar. Therefore, diarrhea is a common ailment.

  • Smelly stools.

  • Pressure in the abdomen.

  • The feeling of being bloated.


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