Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Oct;16(10):102.
doi: 10.1007/s11892-016-0794-7.

Salivary Amylase: Digestion and Metabolic Syndrome

Catherine Peyrot des Gachons  1 , Paul A S Breslin  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Salivary Amylase: Digestion and Metabolic Syndrome

Catherine Peyrot des Gachons et al. Curr Diab Rep. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

Salivary amylase is a glucose-polymer cleavage enzyme that is produced by the salivary glands. It comprises a small portion of the total amylase excreted, which is mostly made by the pancreas. Amylases digest starch into smaller molecules, ultimately yielding maltose, which in turn is cleaved into two glucose molecules by maltase. Starch comprises a significant portion of the typical human diet for most nationalities. Given that salivary amylase is such a small portion of total amylase, it is unclear why it exists and whether it conveys an evolutionary advantage when ingesting starch. This review will consider the impact of salivary amylase on oral perception, nutrient signaling, anticipatory metabolic reflexes, blood sugar, and its clinical implications for preventing metabolic syndrome and obesity.

Keywords: AMY1 copy number variation; Glucose homeostasis; Insulin; Metabolic syndrome; Salivary amylase; Starch digestion.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Catherine Peyrot des Gachons and Paul A.S. Breslin declare that they have no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Dawes C, Pedersen AM, Villa A, et al. The functions of human saliva: a review sponsored by the World Workshop on Oral Medicine VI. Arch Oral Biol 2015;60(6):863–74. - PubMed
    1. Ruhl S. The scientific exploration of saliva in the post-proteomic era: from database back to basic function. Expert Rev Proteomics 2012;9(1):85–96. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Matsuo R. Role of saliva in the maintenance of taste sensitivity. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med 2000;11(2):216–29. - PubMed
    1. Henkin RI, Gill JR Jr, Bartter FC. Studies on taste thresholds in normal man and in patients with adrenal cortical insufficiency: the role of adrenal cortical steroids and of serum sodium concentration. J Clin Invest 1963;42(5):727. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Power ML, Schulkin J. Anticipatory physiological regulation in feeding biology: cephalic phase responses. Appetite. 2008;50(2): 194–206. - PMC - PubMed