Question

Name an enzyme present in the saliva of human beings?

Answer 1

Hint: When we intake food through the mouth, it triggers the release of saliva. Saliva contains various enzymes that perform important biological functions. The salivary enzymes help to catalyse the rate of chemical reactions in the body. They promote digestion and the accumulation of energy from food. The primary enzyme in saliva has the role of breaking down carbohydrates into smaller molecules. The salivary enzymes also have antibacterial properties.

Complete answer:
The primary enzyme present in the saliva is salivary amylase. They break down carbohydrates into smaller molecules like sugars. The breakdown of larger macromolecules into simpler compounds helps the body to digest starchy foods like potatoes, rice and wheat.
During this process, the larger carbohydrates namely the amylopectin and amylose are broken down into maltose by the enzyme. Maltose is a sugar molecule made up of individual subunits of glucose. Glucose is the major source of energy for humans.
Salivary amylase also plays an important role in dental health. It prevents starches in the food from accumulating on the teeth. Humans also produce pancreatic amylase in the pancreas which further breaks down the partially digested starches from the mouth during digestion.

Note:
The human saliva also contains salivary kallikrein and lingual lipase enzymes. Kallikrein enzymes cleave high molecular weight compounds like kininogen into smaller units called bradykinin. The bradykinin acts as a vasodilator that helps to control blood pressure in the body. They are present in only trace amounts in the saliva. Lingual lipase breaks down triglycerides into glycerides and fatty acid compounds. They catalyse the digestion of lipids. The lingual lipase enzyme decreases with increase in age.