There are more than 50 thousand intestinal enzymes, of which only 3 thousand are known to science. Each enzyme performs a specific function by starting a specific biological reaction. Any enzyme, in its composition, contains amino acids that accelerate the processes occurring in the intestines, in particular, digestion. With a lack of these substances, failures occur, for example, rotting of proteins in the intestine begins. This leads to digestive problems leading to deficiency states, bloating and constipation.

The role of intestinal digestive enzymes in the body

Intestinal enzymes perform many functions:

• digestive;
• transport;
• biological;
• output.

With the help of these useful substances, the following actions are performed:

• fermentation (fermentation) occurs;
• energy is produced;
• oxygen is absorbed
• increased protection against infections;
• accelerates wound healing;
• inflammatory processes are suppressed;
• delivered and received nutrients in cells;
• toxins are removed;
• break down (emulsify) fats;
• cholesterol levels are regulated;
• blood clots dissolve;
• secretion of hormones is regulated;
• slow down the aging process.

The role of enzymes in the human body.

But to perform these functions, enzymes need assistants - coenzymes. They exist outside the cellular structure, but they can be isolated and absorbed to replenish the body's reserves of useful trace elements. The main part of intestinal catalysts for bioreactions is produced in the pancreas.

Operating principle

The performance of enzymes is maintained in a certain temperature range, on average - at 37°C. They act on various substances, transforming their substrate. Under the influence of coenzymes, there is an acceleration of the breaking of some chemical bonds in the molecule with the creation of others and their preparation for release and absorption by body cells, blood components.

Under favorable conditions, enzymes do not wear out, so after completing their task, they proceed to the next. Theoretically, participation in metabolic processes can occur indefinitely. The main directions in which enzymes work:

• anabolism or synthesis of complex compounds from simple substances with the creation of new tissues;
• catabolism or the reverse process that causes the breakdown of complex substrates into simpler substances.

The most important function of enzymes is to ensure stable digestion, as a result of which food components are broken down, prepared for fermentation, excretion and absorption. The process takes place in several stages:

1. Digestion starts at oral cavity where saliva enzymes (alimases) are located that break down carbohydrates.
2. After entering the stomach, protease is activated to break down proteins.
3. When food moves into the small intestine, lipase joins the process to break down fats. At the same time, amylase finally converts carbohydrates.

Consequently, 90% of the entire digestive process takes place in the intestines, where the body absorbs valuable components that enter the bloodstream through millions of small intestinal villi.

Kinds

There are 6 international classes of enzymes:

• oxidoreductases - accelerate oxidative reactions;
• transferases - transfer valuable components;
• hydrolases - accelerate the reactions of breaking complex bonds involving water molecules;
• lyases - accelerate the process of destruction of non-aqueous compounds;
• isomerases - are responsible for the reaction of interconversion in one molecule;
• ligases - regulate the reaction of the connection of two different molecules.

Each class of enzymes has subclasses and 3 groups:

1. Digestive, which work in the gastrointestinal tract and regulate the processes of processing nutrients with further absorption into the systemic circulation. An enzyme that is secreted and emulsified in the small intestine and pancreas is called pancreatic.
2. Food or vegetable that come with food.
3. Metabolic, which are responsible for accelerating the processes of intracellular metabolism.

Intestinal enzymes are a group that falls into 8 categories:

1. Alimases contained in saliva, pancreas and intestines. The enzyme breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars for easier absorption into the blood.
2. Proteases that are produced by the pancreas and gastric mucosa. They fill the secrets of the stomach and intestines. The task is protein digestion, stabilization of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Lipases produced by the pancreas but found in gastric secretion. The task of hydrolytic enzymes is the breakdown and absorption of fats.
4. Cellulases are a material that breaks down fiber fibers.
5. Maltase is the conversion of complex sugar molecules into glucose, which is better absorbed.
6. Lactase is the breakdown of lactose.
7. Phytase is a universal digestive aid, especially in the synthesis of B vitamins.
8. Sucrase is the breakdown of sugar.

deficit

In case of any violations of the environment, for example, an increase or decrease in temperature, the destruction of enzyme substances occurs, their emulsification with other food components is disturbed. As a result, the food is not digested enough, which provokes malfunctions in the digestive tract. As a result, they develop:

• diseases of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas;
• dyspeptic disorders in the form of belching, heartburn, increased gas formation and flatulence;
• severe headaches;
• irregular stool, up to chronic constipation;
• increased susceptibility to any infections;
• insufficiency of the endocrine system;
• obesity, because fat does not decompose.

The reasons

Regular and proper nutrition a person is the key to the normal functioning of the body.

Overeating and snacking “on the go” can provoke a violation of the production of enzymes.

The small intestine is the first and longest section of the gastrointestinal tract, which is located behind the stomach. Its end is the ileum. main function small intestine is the absorption of liquid with various useful substances that enter with food and dissolve in it.

What are enzymes

The human body does not produce digestive enzymes on its own., since they enter it when a person eats raw food or in the form of special dietary supplements. Such enzymes are produced only in the pancreas, but they are not activated in the stomach itself, but only in 12- duodenum provided that it maintains a slightly alkaline balance.

And therefore, if human acid-base balance is disturbed, then the enzymes of the small intestine will not work.

There is an opinion that hydrochloric acid, which is found in gastric juice, helps break down protein. But this is a misconception, since this acid does not break it down, but only converts pepsinogen into a more active form called pepsin. This is an enzyme that breaks down protein and begins to work actively in the digestive tract.

What to do if the enzyme does not function in the small intestine and there is a lack of it? What enzymes are needed by the human body, and how can they be replenished with healthy food and biological supplements?

Enzymes of a food nature work in the gastrointestinal tract, and the pancreas in the duodenum 12. Such enzymes work in a fairly large range and therefore retain their activity throughout the gastric tract. But pancreatin is a pancreatic enzyme that works in an alkaline environment of a narrow spectrum of action and is destroyed when it enters the acidic environment of the stomach.

The lack of enzymes that are needed for the stable functioning of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to various diseases, such as:

• arthritis;
• cataract;
• diabetes;
• osteoporosis;
• kidney failure;
• enlargement of the pancreas.

How to replenish the supply of enzymes in the body?

What enzymes are prescribed for low acidity and other problems? If there is a decrease in acidity, then the doctor prescribes such a drug like hydrochloric acid, which will improve the process of protein digestion. But it is best to achieve a positive result with the help of food enzymes so as not to put stress on the kidneys, as the urine test may show an acidic reaction, which may be associated with dietary supplements or the abuse of acidic foods.

With increased acidity, calcium salts are taken. But sometimes they have a negative effect, as they turn into oxalic acid salts, which contribute to the development of arthritis and other joint bone diseases. Correction of enzymes in the body can be done using raw food with a high content of these substances.

Also, a lack of enzymes can lead to symptoms such as:

• An increase in body temperature (fever).
• Enlargement of the pancreas. This usually happens in people who eat often overcooked food in which all useful elements have died.
• Bad urinalysis.
• An increase in the number of white blood cells in the blood.

Enzymes that digest proteins have a significant therapeutic effect in diseases of such organs as the eyes, kidneys, and ears. They are the body's first and very important line of defense.

With a sharp weight loss, it is necessary to remove from the menu all products that contain purine., since the acidic environment of gastric juice destroys such elements as lipase and amylase, which leads to poor digestion of fats. Pancreatitis is a consequence of the high content of purine in the body, and this causes irreparable damage to the kidneys.

After leaving the stomach, the food is exposed to the action of pancreatic juice, intestinal juice and bile.

In the small intestine, proteins must be completely broken down

Pancreatic juice contains proenzymes - trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, procarboxypeptidase, proelastase. Proenzymes in the intestinal lumen are activated to trypsin, chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidases and elastase, respectively, by a limited proteolysis pathway. These enzymes carry out the main work of protein digestion.

Dipeptidases and aminopeptidases are active in intestinal juice. They complete the digestion of proteins.

Trypisin, chymotrypsin, elastase are endopeptidases. Carboxypeptidases and aminopeptidases are exopeptidases.

Regulation of intestinal digestion

In the intestine, under the influence of hydrochloric acid coming from the stomach as part of the food bolus, the secretion of the hormone secretin begins, which reaches the pancreas with blood flow and stimulates the release of the liquid part of pancreatic juice rich in carbonate ions (HCO 3 -). As a result, the pH of the chyme rises to 7.0-7.5.

Thanks to the work of gastric enzymes in the chyme there is a certain amount of amino acids that cause the release of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin. It stimulates the secretion of another, rich in proenzymes, part of the pancreatic juice, and the secretion of bile.

Neutralization of acidic chyme in the duodenum also occurs with the participation of bile. The formation of bile (choleresis) goes on continuously, without stopping even during starvation.

Trypsin activation mechanism.

Trypsinogen synthesized in the pancreas in the duodenum undergoes partial proteolysis under the action of the enteropeptidase enzyme secreted by the cells of the intestinal epithelium. A hexapeptide (Val-Asp-Asp-Asp-Asp-Lys) is separated from the proenzyme, which leads to the formation of the active center of trypsin.

Trypsin is specific to peptide bonds formed with the participation of carboxyl groups of lysine and arginine. can carry out autocatalysis, that is, the conversion of subsequent trypsinogen molecules into trypsin, it also activates other proteolytic enzymes of pancreatic juice - chymotrypsinogen, proelastase, procarboxypeptidase.

In parallel, trypsin is involved in the digestion of dietary lipids, activating the enzyme for digesting phospholipids - phospholipase A 2, and colipase of the lipase enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of triacylglycerols.

Chymotrypsin

mechanism of chymotrypsin activation.

It is formed from chymotrypsinogen with the participation of trypsin and intermediate, already active, forms of chymotrypsin, which cut out two dipeptides from the proenzyme chain. The three fragments formed are held together by disulfide bonds.

The enzyme is specific to peptide bonds formed with the participation of carboxyl groups of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan.

Elastase

It is activated in the intestinal lumen by trypsin from proelastase. Hydrolyzes bonds formed by carboxyl groups of small amino acids alanine, proline, glycine. Carboxypeptidase

Carboxypeptidases are exopeptidases, that is, they hydrolyze peptide bonds from the C-terminus of the peptide chain. There are two types of carboxypeptidases - carboxypeptidase A and carboxypeptidase B. Carboxypeptidases A cleave off aliphatic and aromatic amino acid residues from the C-terminus, carboxypeptidase B - lysine and arginine residues. Aminopeptidases

Being exopeptidases, aminopeptidases cleave off N-terminal amino acids. Important representatives are alanine aminopeptidase and leucine aminopeptidase, which have a wide specificity. For example, leucine aminopeptidase cleaves off not only leucine, but also aromatic amino acids and histidine from the N-terminus of the protein.

Dipeptidases

Dipeptidases hydrolyze dipeptides that are produced in abundance in the intestine during the work of other enzymes.

Enterocyte lysosomes

A small amount of dipeptides and peptides enter enterocytes by pinocytosis and are hydrolyzed here by lysosomal proteases.

With diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and impaired digestion, with gastric or intestinal bleeding, with a diet with an excess of proteins, part of the peptides, not having time to break down, reaches the large intestine and is consumed by microorganisms living there - rotting of proteins in the intestine develops.

In reality, things with the digestion of proteins in the gastrointestinal tract are not quite the same as in theory: gradually pharmacology accumulates facts about the effectiveness of peptide medicines when taken orally. However, no one is in a hurry to draw certain conclusions.

Enzymes of the small intestine, and there are more than 20 of them, are involved in the process of digestion. They process food into nutrients, which are then absorbed by the body and enter the bloodstream. The small intestine is a long tube (2-4 m) that is part of the digestive tract and connects the stomach and large intestine. In it, the processes of digestion of food are most actively proceeding. Here most of the vitamins, minerals, fats and some water are absorbed. Muscle contractions, called peristalsis, move food toward the large intestine.

Functionally and anatomically, it is divided into 3 sections:

• duodenum;
• jejunum;
• iliac.

The duodenum is the first and shortest section, its length is approximately 25 cm. Food enters it from the stomach through the muscular sphincter. The ducts from the pancreas and gallbladder exit here. This is where the absorption of iron takes place. The jejunum and ileum form numerous loops. Sugars, amino acids and fatty acids are absorbed here. In the last section of the intestine, vitamin B12 and bile acids are absorbed.

Internal structure

Throughout the entire length, the wall of the organ has 3 shells:

• external serous (peritoneum);
• middle muscle, consisting of 2 layers;
• internal mucosa with submucosal layer.

The inner layer with the sublayer have folds. The mucous membrane is equipped with outgrowths (villi) that have close contact with incoming food. Between them are long depressions or crypts that secrete intestinal juice. At their base there are special cells that produce the antibacterial enzyme lysozyme. Special goblet cells secrete mucus, which is involved in digestion and helps to move the liquid contents of the stomach (chyme).

Types of substances and their action

The duodenum produces an alkaline fluid that neutralizes the acid in the gastric juices, thereby helping to maintain an optimal pH value of 7 to 9. This is a necessary condition for the productive work of enzymes. All enzymes produced in the small intestine are formed in the epithelium of the mucous membrane or on the villi and are part of the intestinal juice. They are divided according to the type of substrate they affect. There are the following enzymes:

• protease and peptidase break down proteins into amino acids;
• lipase converts fats into fatty acids;
• carbohydrases break down carbohydrates such as starch and sugar;
• nuclease converts nucleic acids into nucleotides;
• hydrolases break down large molecules into smaller ones in the intestinal lumen.

Many enzymes enter the intestines from the pancreas and gallbladder. The pancreatic enzymes it takes are lipase, trypsin, and amylase. Trypsin breaks down proteins into shorter polypeptides, lipase converts fats and oils into fatty acids and glycerol, and amylase converts amylose (starch) into maltose. Incoming bile emulsifies fats and allows intestinal lipase, which is less active than pancreatic lipase, to work more efficiently.

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Under the influence of these compounds, proteins, fats and carbohydrates break down into smaller molecules. But they are not yet completely split. Further, intestinal enzymes act on them. These include:

• sucrase, which converts sucrose into glucose and fructose;
• maltase, which breaks down maltose to glucose;
• isomaltase, which acts on maltose and isomaltose;
• lactase, which breaks down lactose;
• intestinal lipase, which promotes the breakdown of fats;
• peptidases that break down peptides into simple amino acids.

The resulting simple molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream with the help of villi in the jejunum and ileum.

Digestion is a chain of the most important processes occurring in our body, thanks to which organs and tissues receive the necessary nutrients. Note that valuable proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins cannot enter the body in any other way. Food enters the oral cavity, passes through the esophagus, enters the stomach, from there it goes to the small intestine, then to the large intestine. This is a schematic description of how digestion works. In fact, everything is much more complicated. Food undergoes certain processing in a particular section of the gastrointestinal tract. Each stage is a separate process.

It must be said that enzymes that accompany the food bolus at all stages play a huge role in digestion. Enzymes are presented in several forms: enzymes responsible for the processing of fats; enzymes responsible for the processing of proteins and, accordingly, carbohydrates. What are these substances? Enzymes (enzymes) are protein molecules that speed up chemical reactions. Their presence / absence determines the speed and quality of metabolic processes. Many people have to take drugs containing enzymes to normalize their metabolism, as they digestive system unable to cope with the food.

enzymes for carbohydrates

The carbohydrate-oriented digestive process begins in the mouth. Food is crushed with the help of teeth, in parallel being exposed to saliva. The secret lies in saliva in the form of the enzyme ptyalin, which converts starch into dextrin, and then into the disaccharide maltose. Maltose is broken down by the enzyme maltase, breaking it into 2 molecules of glucose. So, the first stage of the enzymatic processing of the food bolus has been completed. The breakdown of starchy compounds, which began in the mouth, continues in the gastric space. Food entering the stomach experiences the action of hydrochloric acid, which blocks the enzymes of saliva. The final stage of the breakdown of carbohydrates takes place inside the intestine with the participation of highly active enzyme substances. These substances (maltase, lactase, invertase), processing monosaccharides and disaccharides, are contained in the secretory fluid of the pancreas.

Enzymes for proteins

The breakdown of proteins takes place in 3 stages. The first stage is carried out in the stomach, the second - in the small intestine, and the third - in the cavity of the large intestine (this is done by the cells of the mucous membrane). In the stomach and small intestine, under the action of protease enzymes, polypeptide protein chains break down into shorter oligopeptide chains, which then enter the cellular formations of the large intestine mucosa. With the help of peptidases, oligopeptides are cleaved to the final protein elements - amino acids.

The gastric mucosa produces the inactive enzyme pepsinogen. It turns into a catalyst only under the influence of an acidic environment, becoming pepsin. It is pepsin that disrupts the integrity of proteins. In the intestines, pancreatic enzymes (trypsin and chymotrypsin) act on protein foods, digesting long protein chains in a neutral environment. Oligopeptides undergo cleavage to amino acids with the participation of some peptidase elements.

Enzymes for fats

Fats, like other food elements, are digested in gastrointestinal tract in several stages. This process begins in the stomach, in which lipases break down fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Fat constituents are sent to duodenum where they mix with bile and pancreatic juice. Bile salts emulsify fats to speed up their processing by the pancreatic juice enzyme lipase.

The path of split proteins, fats, carbohydrates

As it has already been found out, under the action of enzymes, proteins, fats and carbohydrates break down into separate components. Fatty acids, amino acids, monosaccharides enter the blood through the epithelium of the small intestine, and the "waste" is sent to the cavity of the large intestine. Here, everything that could not be digested becomes the object of attention of microorganisms. They process these substances with their own enzymes, forming slags and toxins. Dangerous for the body is the ingress of decay products into the blood. The putrefactive intestinal microflora can be suppressed by lactic acid bacteria contained in fermented milk products: cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream, fermented baked milk, curdled milk, yogurt, koumiss. That is why daily consumption is recommended. However, it is impossible to overdo it with sour-milk products.

All undigested elements make up the feces, which accumulate in the sigmoid segment of the intestine. And they leave the large intestine through the rectum.

Useful trace elements formed during the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood. Their purpose is participation in a large number of chemical reactions that determine the course of metabolism (metabolism). An important function is performed by the liver: it converts amino acids, fatty acids, glycerol, lactic acid into glucose, thus providing the body with energy. Also, the liver is a kind of filter that cleanses the blood of toxins and poisons.

This is how digestive processes proceed in our body with the participation of the most important substances - enzymes. Without them, digestion of food is impossible, which means that the normal functioning of the digestive system is impossible.