Carbohydrates are a type of sugar molecule found in a variety of foods such as fruits and vegetables, breads and grains, milk products and sweets that is broken down and used as energy for the body. Biochemically, carbohydrates are simply a linkage of multiple saccharides or sugar molecules. Polysaccharides consist of more than two linked saccharides; disaccharides are exactly two linked saccharides; and monosaccharides are one sugar molecule. Carbohydrates in food are polysaccharides that are broken down by enzymes in the body during digestion into individual monosaccharide units so they can be absorbed by the body.
Salivary Amylase
Salivary amylase is the first enzyme involved in the breakdown of carbohydrates into simpler molecules. The enzyme is found in saliva secreted from the salivary glands in the mouth during eating. It functions to break down polysaccharides, or multiple sugar molecules linked together, into disaccharides, or two linked sugar molecules called maltose, according to Clinton Community College. This allows for easier access and digestion by enzymes further along in the digestive process.
Pancreatic Amylase
The pancreas secretes a mixture of pancreatic juices into the small intestines during digestion. The enzyme pancreatic amylase is found in these secretions and it functions to further break down carbohydrates, according to the University of California Berkeley. It converts polysaccharides into smaller links of sugar molecules such as disaccharides and trisaccharides, or maltose and maltriose, respectively. This digestive process brings carbohydrates one step closer to being able to be absorbed by the body.
Disaccharidases
A monosaccharide is a single sugar molecule which includes glucose, galactose and fructose. The conversion of di- or trisaccharide molecules into monosaccharides is the last step in carbohydrate digestion as it is the only sugar molecule that can be absorbed by the body, according to the University of California Berkeley. The three enzymes -- collectively known as disaccharidases -- involved in monosaccharide production include maltase, sucrase and lactase. Maltase converts maltose into glucose; sucrase converts sucrose into glucose; and fructose and lactase produce glucose and galactose from lactose. These enzymes are found in special cells of the small intestines, called microvilli.
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