EXPERIMENT #10 : Digestion and Metabolism

DIGESTION
▷ Breakdown of larger molecules into smaller molecules.

▷ Occurs in the mouth

○ Contains enzymes that catalyzes the breakdown of large molecules.

▷ Carbohydrates will be broken down into disaccharides to monosaccharides.

▷ Proteins to Amino acids

▷ Triacylglycerol into fatty acids and glycerol.

1.

CARBOHYDRATE
DIGESTION

▷ Starch is a polysaccharide composed of a monomer of Glucose.

▷ Salivary amylase (Ptyalin) breaks the glycosidic bonds of starch to form Maltose and further
hydrolysis yields to Glucose.

A. COLLECTION OF SALIVA

▷ Blue litmus paper turned red.

▷ Red litmus paper remained red.

▷ Slightly acidic

B. ACTION OF SALIVA IN CARBOHYDRATES

▷ Mixture with Iodine solution – from yellow it turned blue.

▷ Mixture with Benedict’s reagent – from blue it turned blue-green to yellow.

C. ACTION OF PANCREATIC JUICE

TUBES SOLUTIONS ADDED HEATED AT RESULT:

40°C

1 2mL starch solution + 1mL WHITE SOLUTION

pancreatic solution

2 2mL starch solution + 1mL 0.5% WHITE SOLUTION

Na2CO3

3 2mL starch solution + 1mL WHITE-YELLOWISH

pancreatic solution + 0.5% SOLUTION
Na2CO3
SOLUTIONS + BENEDICT’S SOLUTION:

TUBE 1 DARK BLUE

TUBE 2 LIGHT BLUE

TUBE 3 GREEN

2.
FAT DIGESTION

▷ Lipase – hydrolyzes fats into fatty acid and glycerol.

▷ Pancreas – source of Lipase

▷ Litmus paper – pH indicator

▷ Positive result: Litmus paper turned red (Acidic).

○ Indicates that free fatty acids release H+.

TUBE REAGENTS RESULT INDICATION

1 Olive oil + Red litmus Slight

pancreatic paper digestion
extract remained
red

(Acidic)
 2 Olive oil + Red litmus Complete
pancreatic paper digestion
extract + remained
Na2CO3 red

(Acidic)

3 Olive oil + No change No

Na2CO3 digestion

Fatty acids are acidic, therefore adding an alkaline solution to the extract and sample, it will be
neutralized thus lowering the pH (acidic).

3.
PROTEIN DIGESTION

▷ Biuret test – detection of peptide bonds

▷ Pepsin – a protease that reacts best at lower pH

▷ Trypsin – a protease that reacts best at higher pH

▷ Positive result: Clear solution (Complete digestion)

TUBES REAGENTS RESULT

1 ALBUMIN + PEPSIN + VIOLET

BIURET SOL.
SOLUTION

2 ALBUMIN + PEPSIN + NO COLOR

HCl + BIURET SOL. CHANGE

3 ALBUMIN + BIURET VIOLET

SOL.
SOLUTION

Pepsin will react best at lower pH (acidic)

 TUBES REAGENTS RESULT

1 ALBUMIN + TRYPSIN + VIOLET

BIURET SOL.
SOLUTION

2 ALBUMIN + TRYPSIN + BROWNISHGREEN

Na2CO3 + BIURET SOL. SOLUTION

3 ALBUMIN + Na2CO3 VIOLET

+BIURET SOL.
SOLUTION

Trypsin react best at higher pH (basic)

Proteins will be completely digested at a suitable pH.