BIOCHEMISTRY-1

DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION OF GASTRIC

JUICE

MR. ARIF ULLAH KHAN NIAZI

MPHIL-MLS (University of Haripur, Haripur)
BS-MLT (Khyber Medical University, Peshawar)
B.Sc in Biological Sciences
Diploma in MLT
Senior Lecturer/BS-Coordinator
Bannu College of Medical Technologies
Bannu/Pathology Department, Bannu Medical College
Bannu
 GASTRIC JUICE
• It is secreted from three types of cells in the
stomach.
 Chief cells secrete pepsinogen .
 Parietal or oxyntic cells secrete HCL and
intrinsic factor.
 Mucous cells secrete mucin.
• Composition of gastric juice includes water,
inorganic and organic matter.
 GASTRIC JUICE
• Inorganic constituents include HCL (most
important), Na+, K+ and phosphate (very less).
• Organic constituents include mucin, pepsin,
gastric lipase, traces of other enzymes and
intrinsic factor.
• Gastric juice is highly acidic. Its pH range from
1.3 to 2.6.
• Amount of gastric juice secretion is about 2 to 3
L/day.
 PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS
1. PEPSIN
• It is secreted in the zymogen (inactive) form
called pepsinogen. Which is at first activated
by HCL and then pepsin itself.
• Pepsin is a powerful proteolytic enzymes. It is
an endopeptidase therefore it hydrolyzes the
central peptide bond of proteins.
• It curdles milk.
 PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS
2. GASTRIC LIPASE
• Gastric lipase breaks down short and medium
chain fatty acid.
• It is destroyed by trypsin.
 PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS
3. HYDROCHLORIC ACID (HCL)
• Activates pepsinogen to pepsin by removing the amino
acids covering the active site of pepsinogen.
• Maintains the acidic pH of the gastric juice so that
pepsin can function efficiently for the digestion of
proteins.
• It has antimicrobial activity.
• It helps in the absorption of iron by converting it from
ferric (Fe+++) to ferrous form (Fe++).
 PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS
4. MUCIN
• It acts as a lubricating agent.
• It forms a slippery layer over the gastric mucosa.
This slippery layer acts as a barrier against the
action of gastric juice on gastric wall and
prevents it from auto-digestion.
• Mucin secretion is increased by irritants of
gastric mucosa, hyperacidity and vagal
stimulation.
 PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS
5. INTRINISIC FACTOR
• It is protein in nature.
• It is essentially required for the absorption of
vitamin B12.
• Deficiency of intrinsic factor results in deficiency
of vitamin B12 which eventually causes
megaloblastic anemia. Since the vitamin B12
deficiency is due to the lack of intrinsic factor it is
called “pernicious anemia”
REGULATION OF GASTRIC JUICE SECRETION

• Secretion of gastric juice continues under all

circumstances.
• Secretion is caused by small amounts of
gastrin (gastrointestinal hormone), released
from the pyloric antrum by vagal stimulation.
• Secretion of gastric juice in response to meal
can be divided into three phases:
REGULATION OF GASTRIC JUICE SECRETION

1. NEURAL OR CEPHALIC PHASE

• Neural sensory stimulation is caused by sight, smell and taste
of food and it increases gastric secretions.
• A vasovagal reflex also cause secretion pf gastric juice. It is
caused by the distention of stomach especially the fundus,
stimulating stretch receptors in the stomach wall. The stretch
receptors stimulate vagus nerve resulting in the release of
acetylcholine in the vicinity of gastric glands causing
secretion of gastric juice.
• The juice secreted in response to vagal stimulation is very
rich in HCL, pepsin and mucin.
REGULATION OF GASTRIC JUICE SECRETION

2. GASTRIC PHASE
• Starts when food enters the stomach and stimulates the
secretion of the gastric juice. The effect is through local neurons.
• Effects is more profound in response to water-soluble products
of protein digestion (peptide and amino acids) and alcohol.
• These products cause release of a hormone, called Gastrin, from
G-cells (enterochromaffin cells) of pyloric antrum.
• Gastrin enters the blood, reaches gastric glands and stimulates
parietal and chief cells to secrete a juice rich in pepsin and HCL.
REGULATION OF GASTRIC JUICE SECRETION

Gastrin secretion stimulants Gastric secretion inhibitors

• Histamine • Fats
• Gastrin • Acids
• Cholecystokinin pancreozyme • Alkalies
• Caffeine • Para sympatholytic agents
• Alcohol • Anti histamine drugs
• Parasympathetic stimulation • Anti gastrin agents secretion
• Nicotine • Gastric inhibitory peptide
• Proteins • Psychological factors
• Gastric irritants
• Alkalies
• Corticosteroids
• Insulin
• Psychological factors
 REGULATION OF GASTRIC JUICE
SECRETION
3. INTESTINAL PHASE
• occurs when chyme (partly digested food) from
stomach enters 1st part of duodenum.
• Digested lipids, proteins and low pH of chyme
(<2), causes secretion of three gastrointestinal
hormones i.e. secretin, gastrin inhibitory
polypeptide (GIP) and cholecystokinin
pancreozymin (CCK-Pz).
• Acidic chyme with three hormones inhibits gastric
phase and initiate intestinal phase of digestion.
 REGULATION OF GASTRIC JUICE
SECRETION
• Secretin causes pancreas to secrete pancreatic juice
rich in bicarbonate, it is also inhibits the secretion
of HCL by inhibiting parietal cells of the stomach.
• GIP along with secretin inhibits HCL secretion by the
stomach.
• CCK-Pz is the predominant hormone controlling this
phase. It stimulates gall bladder to contract and
release the hepatic and pancreatic enzymes, stored
in it, into the duodenum.
• This phase represents only 10% of the gastric
secretions.
THANK YOU