WEEK 14: DIGESTION CHEMISTRY Intrinsic factor

-vitamin B12 undergoes reaction with this before it

Most main constituents of foods (carbohydrates, can be absorbed into bloodstream
proteins, and lipids) are composed of large molecules Pernicious anemia- caused by lack of intrinsic factor
which are hydrolyzed into smaller and more soluble
molecules. Intestinal Digestion
Hydrolysis is accomplished by enzymes of digestive The food in the stomach is very acidic. When this
fluids namely (salivary, gastric juice, pancreatic acid material enters small intestine, it stimulates
juice, and intestinal juice). mucosa to release hormone secretin)
Digestion- process of biochemical transformation of Secretin stimulates the pancreas (duodenum) to
complex and larger food particles in the gut release pancreatic juice into the small intestine
enzymatically into a simpler form suitable for
absorption and assimilation. 3 digestive juices enter small intestine which are all
alkaline and neutralize acid contents coming from
Salivary Digestion stomach)
Saliva composition Pancreatic juice, intestinal juice, and bile
-Water 99.5%
-Mucin (glycoprotein)-food lubricant Pancreatic Juice
-α-Amylase/ salivary amylase/ ptyalin-catalyzes the -contain several enzymatic substances/ zymogens
hydrolysis of starches to dextrin/maltose; best work involved in digestion of everything in food.
at pH of saliva in between 5.0-7.1; optimum pH 6.6 Trypsinogentrypsin
(proteins and lipids pass through mouth unchanged) Chymotrypsinogenchymotrypsin
Procarboxypeptidasecarboxypeptidase
Gastric Digestion Proelastaseelastase
Gastric juice pancreatic amylase
- starts digestion of proteins with pepsin (secreted by pancreatic lipase
glands within the stomach wall); clear, pale yellow cholesterol ester hydrolase
liquid with pH of 1.0-2.0 ribonuclease
-99% water deoxyribonuclease
-0.5% free hydrochloric acid (HCl)
-pepsinogen Intestinal Juice
-gastric lipase
-intrinsic factor Aminopeptidase
Nucleosidase
HCl Lecithinase
(The presence of HCl in gastric juice causes it to Disachharidase-hydrolysis of disaccharides
have such a low pH) Maltase-maltose-2 glucoses
Sucrose-sucrose-glucose and fructose
Hypoacidity-lower stomach acidity level than normal; Lactase-lactose-glucose and galactose
associated with stomach cancer and pernicious Peptidase- peptide chain hydrolysis
anemia Aminopeptidase- terminal amino acids
Tripeptidase and dipeptidase
Hyperacidity-condition in which stomach has too Polynucleotidase-split nucleic acids into nucleotides
high acid concentration; indicative of gastric ulcers, Nucleotidase- split nucleotide into phosphoric acid
hypertension, or gastritis (inflammation of stomach and nucleoside
walls) Nucleosidase- nucleosides into N. base and sugars
Enterokinase/enteropeptidase-converts trypsinogen
(Low pH of stomach also destroys most of into trypsin
microorganisms that enter body through mouth.) Phosphatase- split phosphates from organic
phosphate
Pepsinogen Lecithinase-split lecithin into fatty acids, glycerol,
change into pepsin, protease, by action of HCl phosphoric acid and choline
(optimum pH is 1.0-1.5)
catalyzes hydrolysis of some peptide bonds of Bile
proteins into short polypeptides -produced in liver and stored in gallbladder
-clear yellowish brown to green viscous liquid with
pH of 7.8-8.6 In the Stomach
-alkaline which neutralize acid entering from Gastric juice
stomach Contains no carbohydrases so no digestion of
-contains bile salt, bile pigment, and cholesterol carbohydrates occurs (except from that catalyzed by
salivary amylase)
Bile salts
Functions: In the Small Intestine
-ability to lower surface tension and increase surface Major digestion takes place through enzymes in
area which aid in fat emulsification pancreatic juice and intestinal juice
-increase effectiveness of pancreatic lipase (steapsin)
in its digestive action on emulsified fats ( represents enzyme activity)
-aid the absorption of fatty acids through walls of the
intestine Pancreatic Juice
-stimulate intestinal motility Pancreatic amylase (diastase/ amylopsin)
-catalyze hydrolysis of starch into maltose
Bile pigments Starch + water  maltose
RBC lasts 120 days and get destroyed
Hemoglobinheme + globin biliverdin+ iron Intestinal Juice
bilirubinstercobilinogen and Maltase
urobilinogenstercobilin and urobilin -catalyze hydrolysis of maltose into 2 glucoses
Maltose+ waterglucose+ glucose
The hemoglobin is broken down into globin and
heme. The body removes the iron from heme and Lactase
reuses it. -catalyze hydrolysis of lactose into glucose &
Biliverdin- heme with the iron removed; reduced in galactose
liver, spleen, bone marrow to form bilirubin Lactose+ waterglucose+ galactose
Bilirubin- main bile pigment excreted into the bile by
liver Sucrose
In the intestine, some bilirubin is converted into -catalyze hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose &
stercobilinogen and stercobilin. fructose
Stercobilin- a pigment that gives the feces yellow Sucrose+ water glucose+ fructose
brown color
some bilirubin is absorbed into the bloodstream and (If monosaccharides like glucose is eaten, digestion is
comes to the liver where it is converted into not necessary. Instead it can easily undergo
urobilinogen and then to urobilin, which appears in absorption into bloodstream)
the urine giving the fluid its characteristic color
(Genetic deficiency/; absence of some of these
(If bile duct is blocked, bile pigments can enter the enzymes can give rise to defective digestion and
intestine and feces will be clay-colored or colorless absorption of particular substances)
and it can also remain in bloodstream producing DIGESTION OF FATS
jaundice which is characterized by yellow In the Mouth
pigmentation of skin) Lingual lipase- secreted by dorsal surface of tongue
(Ebner’s gland)
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES -usually act on triglycerides to have short chain fatty
In the Mouth acids especially milk fat
Digestion begins in mouth Milk fatty acid + glycerol
Chewing-reduce size of food particles
Salivary amylase (ptyalin) catalyzes hydrolysis of In the Stomach
starch and glycogen into maltose or dextrin Gastric juice
-act on short period of time but stops or become Gastric lipase- little digestion of fats into fatty acids
inactive at a pH below 4.0 so when it is in the and glycerol because fats must be emulsified first
stomach, the activity ceases where pH falls to about before digested by lipase and there is no mechanism
1.5 for emulsification of fats in the stomach
Principal function of saliva: lubricate and moisten Fats  fatty acids + glycerol
food so it can be easily swallowed
In the Small Intestine
Major site of fat digestion

Pancreatic juice
Pancreatic lipase- catalyzes hydrolysis of fats into
fatty acids and glycerol that is aided by bile which
emulsifies fats into fine droplets so that they can be
acted upon readily by pancreatic lipase

Fats (triglycerides) + water  fatty acid and glycerol

(Failure to digest/ absorb fats will result to

steatorrhea
Steatorrhea-excretion of feces in large amounts,
normally less than 5% of ingested fat is excreted in
feces)

DIGESTION OF PROTEINS
In the Mouth
Saliva contains no enzymes for hydrolysis of proteins
thus no digestion occurs in the mouth.

In the Stomach
Gastric Juice
HCl
Pepsinogen+HCl Pepsin (active)
Rennin
Casein+ water paracasein
Pepsin
Protein+ water proteoses and peptones

In the Small Intestine

Intestinal Juice
Enterokinase/ Enteropeptidase- activates trypsinogen
to trypsin
Trypsinogen trypsin

Aminopeptidase
Polypeptides peptides and amino acids

Dipeptidase
Dipeptidesamino acids

Pancreatic Juice
1. Carboxypeptidase
Polypeptide+ wateramino acids
2. Elastase
Proteins/ polypeptides polypeptides/ dipeptides
3. Trypsin
Protein+ water Polypeptides+ proteoses + peptones

4. Chymotrypsin
Protein+ water Polypeptides + proteoses +
peptones
 SUMMARY OF CARBOHYDRATES DIGESTION

Location of Digestive juice and enzymes Substrate Products

Digestion
Mouth Salivary amylase/ α-Amylase/ Starch and glycogen Maltose and dextrin
(Salivary) ptyalin (Polysaccharides) (Disaccharides)
Stomach
(Gastric Juice)
Small Intestine
Specifically Pancreatic amylase Starch and glycogen Maltose
Duodenum/ (Polysaccharides) (isaccharides)
Pancreas
(Pancreatic
Juice)
Lactase Lactose Glucose+ Galactose
(Intestinal Juice) Sucrase Sucrose Glucose+ Fructose
Maltose Maltose Glucoses
(Disaccharides) (Monosaccharides)

SUMMARY OF LIPID DIGESTION

Location of Digestive juice and enzymes Substrate Products

Digestion
Mouth Lingual Lipase Milk Fatty acids + diglycerides
(Salivary)
Stomach Gastric Lipase Fats Fatty acids + glycerol
(Gastric Juice)
Small Intestine Pancreatic Lipase Fats Fatty acids + glycerol
Specifically (Triglycerides)
Duodenum/
Pancreas
(Pancreatic
Juice)

SUMMARY OF PROTEIN DIGESTION

Location of Digestive juice and Substrate Products

Digestion enzymes
Mouth
(Salivary)
Stomach Hydrochloric acid (HCl) Pepsinogen Pepsin (active)
(Gastric Juice)
Rennin Casein Paracasein

Pepsin Protein Proteoses and Peptones

Small Intestine
Specifically Trypsin Protein Polypeptides+ proteoses + peptones
Duodenum/
Pancreas Chymotrypsin Protein Polypeptides + proteoses + peptones
(Pancreatic
Juice) Carboxypeptidase Polypeptide Amino Acids

Elastase Proteins/ Polypeptides Polypeptides/ Dipeptides

Enterokinase/ Trypsinogen Trypsin

(Intestinal Juice) Enteropeptidase

Aminopeptidase Polypeptides Peptides and Amino Acids

Dipeptidase Dipeptides Amino Acids