Digestion of Carbohydrates

The process of breaking down of complex food materials into simpler ones is
called digestion.

 Digestion of carbohydrates starts in the mouth.

 The major source of carbohydrate is found in plants.
 The principal dietary carbohydrates include :
 Polysaccharides: - Starch, Glycogen and Cellulose.
Disaccharides: - Maltose, Lactose and Sucrose
 Monosaccharides :- Glucose ,Galactose and fructose.

 Polysaccharides and Disaccharides are to be digested to monosaccharides for

its absorption.
Glands and its Secretions in Digestive system
 Digestion of Carbohydrates - Overview

Mouth

Stomach

Salivary Pancreas
α- amylase Small
Intestine
No Enzymes

Pancreatic
α- amylase Dextrinase
Maltase
Isomaltase
Sucrose
Lactase
 Digestion in mouth
• Digestion of carbohydrate starts at the mouth.
• In mouth, food undergoes mastication.
• During mastication, food comes in contact with saliva(secreted by
salivary gland).
• Saliva contain salivary amylase (ptyalin).
Action of salivary amylase
• It requires Cl- ion for activation and PH 6.7.
• The enzyme hydrolyzes α-(1-4) glycosidic bonds at random deep
inside polysaccharide (starch, glycogen).
 Producing dextrins, maltose, maltotriose, glucose.
Action of Salivary amylase in mouth

Starch
 Digestion in Stomach

• Digestion of carbohydrate temporarily stops in

the stomach.

• The action of salivary amylase stops in stomach

because of high acidity of stomach.

• No carbohydrate splitting enzymes available in

gastric juice.
 Digestion in Intestine
• Further digestion of carbohydrate occurs in small intestine
by pancreatic enzymes.
• Food bolus reaches the small intestine from stomach
where it meets the pancreatic juice.
• Pancreatic juice contain carbohydrate splitting enzyme
called pancreatic amylase similar to S. amylase.
• There are two phase of intestinal digestion:-
Digestion due to pancreatic amylase.
Digestion due to intestinal brush border enzyme.
 Action of Pancreatic Amylase

Pancreatic Amylase

Maltotriose Maltose Isomaltose

Dextrin
Action of Intestinal Enzymes
Summary – Digestion of Carbohydrates
Cellulose is not digested by humans, Why?
• Cellulose is also a homo polysaccharide of glucose found in the cell wall of plants.

• Glucose molecules are linked by β- (1-4) glycosidic bond.

• It can only be hydrolysed by β- glycosidase enzyme which is not synthesized by

Humans.

• So Cellulose is not digested by humans.

• But, although is not digested, it is one of the important component in the diet.

• Because, undigested cellulose provide bulk as fibre in the diet.

• Fibre helps in intestinal motility & as a stool softer.

 Absorption of Carbohydrates
• The end product of carbohydrate digestion are:
• Glucose
• Fructose
• Galactose

• These are readily absorbed through the intestinal mucosal cells into the
blood stream.
• Two mechanism are responsible for the absorption of these sugars.
• Facilitated transport, according to conc. gradient.
• Active transport, against conc. Gradient.
 Active Transport
• The transport of glucose and Galactose across the brush border of
mucosal cells occur by active transport.

• It is an energy requiring process that requires a transport protein and

presence of sodium ions.

• A sodium dependent glucose transporter (SGLT-1) binds both glucose

and sodium at separate sites and transports them into the cell.

• The sodium transport down conc. gradient & glucose transported against
conc. gradient.

• This process is called co-transport or symport.

• The energy for this reaction is provided by ATP linked to sodium pump
Sodium dependent glucose Transport

Blood
capillaries

Intestinal mucosal cell

Intestinal lumen
Glucose Transporters
 Disorders of digestion and absorption of Carbohydrates

Lactose Intolerence

• Enzyme deficient is Lactase.

• Lactase enzyme hydrolyze lactose to glucose and galactose.
• Lactose is not able to digest and it will get drain down the large
intestine and causes bacterial fermentation.
• This results in the production of H2 and CO2 gases and low molecular
weight acids.
• Abdominal cramps and flatulence results from the accumulation of
gases and osmotically active products draw water from intestinal cells
into lumen resulting in diarrhea and dehydration.