Digestive Enzymes

What Are Digestive Enzymes?

A class of protein which catalyzes all types of biochemical reactions, such as digestion, respiration, muscular contraction and metabolism taking place in the living organism, are called human digestive enzymes.

These Biological catalysts do not only accelerate the rate of reaction, but also drive a reaction to completion which normally does not occur at room temperature. For instance conversion of starch into glucose in the laboratory is only possible when it is boiled with hydrochloric acid solution while enzyme ‘amylase’ converts starch into glucose at room temperature without the help of acid or heating. Digestive Enzymes are only synthesized by the living cells and do not necessarily require cells for their reactions.

A reaction before it can proceed, requires some form of energy, it may be heat which is provided from the external sources, is called energy of activation. Enzymes lower the amount of activation energy for more efficiently then the inorganic catalysts and there fore, catalyze the reaction at lower temperature. For example 18 K cal/mol of H2O2 is the activation energy needed to decompose H2O2 into H2O + 1/2 O2 in the absence of catalyst. This value is lowered down to 13 K cal/mol in presence of iron; and 12 K cal/mol in presence of platinum. Where as enzyme ‘CATALASE’ obtained from liver, reduces this energy to less than 5 K cal/mol of H2O2 and catalyses breakdown of H2O2 in H2O + O2 at room temperature.

All biological reactions are enzyme catalyzed even the biosynthesis of an enzyme by living cell is catalyzed by the enzyme in the digestive system. Some digestive enzyme requires a non-protein component called a cofactor to the catalytic activity. Cofactors may be bound permanently to the enzyme (i.e. prosthetic group) or may form transient associations e.g. coenzyme and metal ions. Several different enzyme molecules catalyze the same chemical reactions; such families of enzymes are called isoenzyme.

Certain enzymes are in the form of inactive protein molecules called zymogen or proenzyme. The substance on which the enzyme acts is called the substrate of that enzyme. And enzymes, according to trivial nomenclature systems are named after the substrate by adding ‘ase’ to the root of the name of the substrate e.g. sucrase for sucrose, lactase for lactose and urease for urea. Certain enzyme such as pepsin and trypsin, present in stomach and intestine respectively are protein hydrolyzing enzymes and their trivial names are retained as such. However according to general analogy, these are called “Proteases”.

The vital digestive enzymes activity remains with the active centre in the protein molecule of the enzyme. This active centre combines with the substrate and starts the reaction that is catalyzed by the enzyme. Similarly this active centre if combined with some other substance which is not the real substrate could destroy the activity temporarily or permanently.

Are Digestive Enzymes Safe To Take?

Digestive enzymes are helpful for people in various conditions digestive enzymes and ulcers treatment can help patients with a history of ulcers, inflammation and digestive enzymes can also work together with great advantages there are various digestive enzymes supplements especially Renew Life Digestive Enzyme that are especially designed for Kids.

Foods with digestive enzymes include most of the vegetables and fruits Papaya digestive enzymes, are tremendous for protein digestion and you can eat them with each meal. Digestive enzymes and infants encourage weight gain in young kids by increasing nitrogen levels. Digestive enzymes and parasites cannot work together as the digestive enzymes kill off parasites.