WEEK 14: DIGESTION CHEMISTRY
-vitamin B12 undergoes reaction with this before it
Most main constituents of foods (carbohydrates,
proteins, and lipids) are composed of large molecules
which are hydrolyzed into smaller and more soluble
molecules.
Hydrolysis is accomplished by enzymes of digestive
fluids namely (salivary, gastric juice, pancreatic
juice, and intestinal juice).
Digestion- process of biochemical transformation of
complex and larger food particles in the gut
enzymatically into a simpler form suitable for
absorption and assimilation.
Salivary Digestion
Saliva composition
-Water 99.5%
-Mucin (glycoprotein)-food lubricant
-α-Amylase/ salivary amylase/ ptyalin-catalyzes the
hydrolysis of starches to dextrin/maltose; best work
at pH of saliva in between 5.0-7.1; optimum pH 6.6
(proteins and lipids pass through mouth unchanged)
Gastric Digestion
Gastric juice
- starts digestion of proteins with pepsin (secreted by
glands within the stomach wall); clear, pale yellow
liquid with pH of 1.0-2.0
-99% water
-0.5% free hydrochloric acid (HCl)
-pepsinogen
-gastric lipase
-intrinsic factor
HCl
(The presence of HCl in gastric juice causes it to
have such a low pH)
Hypoacidity-lower stomach acidity level than normal;
associated with stomach cancer and pernicious
anemia
Hyperacidity-condition in which stomach has too
high acid concentration; indicative of gastric ulcers,
hypertension, or gastritis (inflammation of stomach
walls)
(Low pH of stomach also destroys most of
microorganisms that enter body through mouth.)
Pepsinogen
change into pepsin, protease, by action of HCl
(optimum pH is 1.0-1.5)
catalyzes hydrolysis of some peptide bonds of
proteins into short polypeptides
Intrinsic factor
can be absorbed into bloodstream
Pernicious anemia- caused by lack of intrinsic factor
Intestinal Digestion
The food in the stomach is very acidic. When this
acid material enters small intestine, it stimulates
mucosa to release hormone secretin)
Secretin stimulates the pancreas (duodenum) to
release pancreatic juice into the small intestine
3 digestive juices enter small intestine which are all
alkaline and neutralize acid contents coming from
stomach)
Pancreatic juice, intestinal juice, and bile
Pancreatic Juice
-contain several enzymatic substances/ zymogens
involved in digestion of everything in food.
Trypsinogentrypsin
Chymotrypsinogenchymotrypsin
Procarboxypeptidasecarboxypeptidase
Proelastaseelastase
pancreatic amylase
pancreatic lipase
cholesterol ester hydrolase
ribonuclease
deoxyribonuclease
Intestinal Juice
Aminopeptidase
Nucleosidase
Lecithinase
Disachharidase-hydrolysis of disaccharides
Maltase-maltose-2 glucoses
Sucrose-sucrose-glucose and fructose
Lactase-lactose-glucose and galactose
Peptidase- peptide chain hydrolysis
Aminopeptidase- terminal amino acids
Tripeptidase and dipeptidase
Polynucleotidase-split nucleic acids into nucleotides
Nucleotidase- split nucleotide into phosphoric acid
and nucleoside
Nucleosidase- nucleosides into N. base and sugars
Enterokinase/enteropeptidase-converts trypsinogen
into trypsin
Phosphatase- split phosphates from organic
phosphate
Lecithinase-split lecithin into fatty acids, glycerol,
phosphoric acid and choline
Bile
-produced in liver and stored in gallbladder
-clear yellowish brown to green viscous liquid with
pH of 7.8-8.6
-alkaline which neutralize acid entering from
stomach
-contains bile salt, bile pigment, and cholesterol
Bile salts
Functions:
-ability to lower surface tension and increase surface
area which aid in fat emulsification
-increase effectiveness of pancreatic lipase (steapsin)
in its digestive action on emulsified fats
-aid the absorption of fatty acids through walls of the
intestine
-stimulate intestinal motility
Bile pigments
RBC lasts 120 days and get destroyed
Hemoglobinheme + globin biliverdin+ iron
bilirubinstercobilinogen and
urobilinogenstercobilin and urobilin
The hemoglobin is broken down into globin and
heme. The body removes the iron from heme and
reuses it.
Biliverdin- heme with the iron removed; reduced in
liver, spleen, bone marrow to form bilirubin
Bilirubin- main bile pigment excreted into the bile by
liver
In the intestine, some bilirubin is converted into
stercobilinogen and stercobilin.
Stercobilin- a pigment that gives the feces yellow
brown color
some bilirubin is absorbed into the bloodstream and
comes to the liver where it is converted into
urobilinogen and then to urobilin, which appears in
the urine giving the fluid its characteristic color
(If bile duct is blocked, bile pigments can enter the
intestine and feces will be clay-colored or colorless
and it can also remain in bloodstream producing
jaundice which is characterized by yellow
pigmentation of skin)
DIGESTION OF CARBOHYDRATES
In the Mouth
Digestion begins in mouth
Chewing-reduce size of food particles
Salivary amylase (ptyalin) catalyzes hydrolysis of
starch and glycogen into maltose or dextrin
-act on short period of time but stops or become
inactive at a pH below 4.0 so when it is in the
stomach, the activity ceases where pH falls to about
1.5
Principal function of saliva: lubricate and moisten
food so it can be easily swallowed
In the Stomach
Gastric juice
Contains no carbohydrases so no digestion of
carbohydrates occurs (except from that catalyzed by
salivary amylase)
In the Small Intestine
Major digestion takes place through enzymes in
pancreatic juice and intestinal juice
( represents enzyme activity)
Pancreatic Juice
Pancreatic amylase (diastase/ amylopsin)
-catalyze hydrolysis of starch into maltose
Starch + water  maltose
Intestinal Juice
Maltase
-catalyze hydrolysis of maltose into 2 glucoses
Maltose+ waterglucose+ glucose
Lactase
-catalyze hydrolysis of lactose into glucose &
galactose
Lactose+ waterglucose+ galactose
Sucrose
-catalyze hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose &
fructose
Sucrose+ water glucose+ fructose
(If monosaccharides like glucose is eaten, digestion is
not necessary. Instead it can easily undergo
absorption into bloodstream)
(Genetic deficiency/; absence of some of these
enzymes can give rise to defective digestion and
absorption of particular substances)
DIGESTION OF FATS
In the Mouth
Lingual lipase- secreted by dorsal surface of tongue
(Ebner’s gland)
-usually act on triglycerides to have short chain fatty
acids especially milk fat
Milk fatty acid + glycerol
In the Stomach
Gastric juice
Gastric lipase- little digestion of fats into fatty acids
and glycerol because fats must be emulsified first
before digested by lipase and there is no mechanism
for emulsification of fats in the stomach
Fats  fatty acids + glycerol
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