Amylase
Amylase is a term for a class of enzymes which split or hydrolyze starch. Starch is a complex carbohydrate often found in the human diet. The structure of starch is glucose polymers linked by .alpha.-1,4 and .alpha.-1,6 glucosidic bonds. Starch, a complex carbohydrate, is composed of two types of polysaccharide molecules: amylose, a mostly linear and flexible polymer of D-anhydroglucose units that are linked by alpha-1,4-D-glucosidic bonds, and amylopectin, a branched polymer of amylose chains that are linked by alpha-1,6-D-glucosidic bonds. Starch is digested predominantly in the small intestine by the enzyme alpha-amylase. Amylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starches into sugars. Alpha-amylase hydrolyzes alpha-1,4-glycosidic bonds, and therefore hydrolyzes the amylose fraction of starch almost completely to simple sugars. Alpha-amylase does not hydrolyze the alpha-1,6-D-glucosidic linkages, resulting in less complete hydrolysis of the amylopectin fraction. The breakdown of starch is important in the digestive system and commercially. Oligo saccarides derived from starch, such as maltose, maltotriose, and the like, are used in various fields; most widely in the food industry, due to their superior properties as a base material for food production and a sweetening agent. Amylase is secreted from pancreas, salivary gland and so on, and is mostly distributed in salivary gland and pancreas. Besides those, it is known to be present in muscle, ovary and oviduct as well. It is further known that amylase which is exuded from tissues is present in blood and urine. It is known that amylase value in serum, urine or pancreatic juice shows a high value in a part of functional disorders of pancreas or salivary gland and kidney or liver, or neoplastic disease. Amylase activity measurement is an important item in the field of a clinical examination for a diagnosis of pancreas diseases such as chronic or acute pancreatitis, pancreas cancer and the like; salivary glands diseases such as mumps; renal insufficiency; chronic liver diseases; macroamylasemia.
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