Question

Explain the following, “Maltose results from the enzymatic hydrolysis of amylose, a homopolysaccharide , by the enzyme amylase. Maltose is converted to two molecules of glucose by the enzyme maltase, which hydrolyzes the glycosidic bond.”

especially explain the ezyme Maltase and the enzymatic hydrolysis of amylose.

thank you!

Answer 1

Starch is a polysaccharide compound made up of amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is a homopolysaccharide of glucose residues and are joined by alpha 1,4 glycosidic bonds. Amylose contains 300-3000 glucose residues. Amylopectin exists in branched form and are joined by alpha 1,4 and alpha 1,6 glycosidic bonds. Amylose is the favoured substance for storage in plants as compared to amylopectin because it is readily digested by enzymes and takes less space than amylopectin. The enzyme alpha amylase digests the amylose to form products maltotriose and maltose. Maltose is the commonest form used by plants as a source of energy. The enzyme amylase while breaking down starch produces two residues of glucose at a time, leading to the formation of maltose.

Maltose is a disaccharide which is made of two glucose residues. It is digested by enzyme maltase which form two molecules of glucose as products. Here also two glucose residues are joined by alpha 1,4 bonds to form maltose. The enzyme maltase catalyses the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds present between two glucose residues and breaks down maltose.