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Study of Digestion of Starch by Salivary Amylase and Effect

of pH and Temperature on it
Chemistry SL (St. Xavier High School, Junagadh)

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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Ananya Manhas, a student of class

XII-E at Ryan International School, Sanpada has

successfully completed the course work of Chemistry,

that is “Study of Digestion of Starch by Salivary

Amylase and Effect of pH and Temperature on it”

under the guidance of Mrs. Shweta Shukla during 2023-

24 in partial fulfilment of chemistry practical

examination of Central Board of Secondary

Education.

Signature of Internal Examiner:

Signature of External Examiner:

Signature of Principal:

School Stamp:

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special gratitude to our

Principal Ma’am, Mrs. MURIEL FERNANDES, of

Ryan International School, Sanpada for always

encouraging us to excel in all that we do. I would like to

thank my teacher Mrs. Shweta Shukla for her

continuous encouragement and immense motivation

which sustained my efforts at all stages of this project.

Lastly, I would like to thank my family and friends for

helping me in the completion of this project.

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INDEX

SERIAL TOPIC PAGE

NUMBER NUMBER

1 CERTIFICATE 2
2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3
3 AIM 5
4 INTRODUCTION 7
5 AMYLASE 8
6 EFFECT OF pH ON ACTIVITY OF 9
AMYLASE
7 APPARATUS REQUIRED 10
8 PROCEDURE 11
9 RESULT 12
10 EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON 13
ACTIVITY OF AMYLASE
11 APPARATUS REQUIRED 14
12 PROCEDURE 15
13 RESULT 16
14 CONCLUSION 17
15 BIBLIOGRAPHY 18

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AIM

“To Study the Digestion of Starch by Salivary Amylase and Effect of Ph

and Temperature on it.”

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INTRODUCTION
All living beings need energy to survive. It is from the food we consume that we get

our energy. We know that the energy we are getting is by the process of digestion that

breaks down the complex substance of starch into simpler molecules of glucose,

which are further metabolized into CO2 and water through the process of glycolysis.

The human digestive tract starts at the mouth and ends at the anus.

The digestion of the food starts as soon as we put food in our mouths. Our teeth cut

the food into small pieces and the salivary glands secrete saliva that mixes with these

food materials. The saliva contains an enzyme called salivary amylase which

hydrolyses starch into maltose. The complete digestion of starch occurs only in the

small intestine by the action of pancreatic amylase.

The activity of enzymes is strongly affected by several factors, such as temperature

and pH

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AMYLASE

The enzyme responsible for starch degradation is called amylase, and is found

in saliva, among other places. Whatever your diet, the carbohydrates in food

provide fuel for your body in the form of glucose. However, finding free

glucose is relatively rare in our typical diets, and it is the work of enzymes like

amylase to break down complex carbohydrates or starch, into smaller, simpler

sugars such as glucose.

Did you ever wonder why rice, corn, and potatoes have a slightly sweet taste

when you chew them? This is because they contain large amounts of starch, a

polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by

glycosidic bonds. Starch itself is mostly tasteless, but when it is degraded the

glucose molecules reach your taste buds and the magic happens.

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EFFECT OF DIFFERENT pH ON
THE ACTIVITY OF SALIVARY
AMYLASE

EFFECT OF pH

The optimum pH for the enzymatic activity of salivary amylase ranges from 6

to 7. Above and below this range, the reaction rate reduces as enzymes get

denaturised. The enzyme salivary amylase is most active at pH 6.8. Our

stomach has high level of acidity which causes the salivary amylase to

denature and change its shape. So the salivary amylase does not function once

it enters the stomach

HOW TO TEST IT?

The effect of pH on the activity of salivary amylase on starch can be studied

by using the Iodine test. If we add saliva on starch, the salivary amylase

present in saliva gradually acts on starch and converts it into maltose. Starch

keeps on giving blue colour with iodine till it is completely digested into

maltose. At this point, no blue colour is formed. This is the end point or

achromic point.

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APPARATUS REQUIRED

Three series of test tubes having iodine solution in each, test tubes, pH tablets

of 5, 6.8 and 8, beaker containing water with thermometer, 15 ml 1% starch

solution + 3 ml 1% NaCl, saliva solution, droppers, Bunsen burner and wire

gauze

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PROCEDURE

 Take a beaker containing 15 ml of 1% starch solution + 3 ml of 1% NaCl

solution.

 Divide and pour this solution into three test tubes and mark them as A, B and

C.

 Add pH tablet 5 into test tube A, pH tablet 6.8 into test tube B and pH tablet 8

into test tube C.

 Now transfer experimental tube A, B and C into a beaker containing water and

a thermometer for recording temperature. Temperature of this beaker is to be

maintained at 37°C.

 Using a dropper, take 3 ml saliva solution and add 1 ml of solution to each of

the three test tubes.

 Immediately using a dropper, take few drops from experimental tube A and

transfer this into the first series of test tubes having iodine solution.

 Similarly, do the same procedure for test tube B and test tube C and transfer

the solution into second and third series of test tubes having iodine solution.

 Note this time as zero minute reading.

 After an interval of 2 minutes, again take a drop from each tube and add to the

iodine tubes and note the change in colour of iodine.

 Keep on repeating the experiment at an interval of every 2 minutes till colour

of iodine does not change.

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RESULT

pH 5 is acidic and pH 8 is alkaline, therefore salivary amylase did not act in these

tubes. Whereas, the enzyme acted in the tube with pH 6.8 (i.e., slightly acidic) and

digested the starch.

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EFFECT OF DIFFERENT
TEMPERATURES ON
THE
ACTIVITY OF SALIVARY
AMYLASE

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE

All enzymes are proteinaceous in nature. At a lower temperature, the enzyme salivary

amylase is deactivated and at the higher temperature, the enzyme is denaturated.

Therefore, more time will be taken by an enzyme to digest the starch at lower and

higher temperatures. Optimum temperature for the enzymatic activity of salivary

amylase ranges from 32 °C to 37 °C. The optimum temperature means that the

temperature at which the enzyme shows the maximum activity. At this optimum

temperature, the enzyme is most active and hence, takes less time to digest the starch.

HOW TO TEST IT?

The effect of temperature on the activity of salivary amylase on starch can be studied

by using the Iodine test. If we add saliva on starch, the salivary amylase present in

saliva gradually acts on starch and converts it into maltose. Starch keeps on giving

blue colour with iodine till it is completely digested into maltose. At this point, no

blue colour is formed. This is the end point or achromic point.

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APPARATUS REQUIRED

Three series of test tubes having iodine solution in each, test tubes, ice cubes, water,

15 ml 1% starch solution + 3 ml 1% NaCl, saliva solution, droppers, thermometer,

Bunsen burner and wire gauze

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PROCEDURE

 Take beaker containing 15 ml of 1% starch solution + 3 ml of 1% NaCl solution.

 Divide and pour this solution into three test tubes and mark them as A, B and

C.

 Maintain the temperature of the beaker containing ice cubes at 5°C.

 Take beaker containing ice cubes and keep it on the table.

 Take another two beakers containing water and heat over the Bunsen burner.

 Now transfer experimental tube A into a beaker containing ice.

 Transfer the second experimental tube B into water bath set at 37°C and third

experimental tube C into the beaker maintained at 50°C.

 Using a dropper, take 1 ml saliva solution and transfer the solution into test

tube A.

 Similarly, add 1 ml saliva solution into test tube B and test tube C.

 Immediately, using a dropper, take few drops from experimental tube A and

transfer this into first series of test tubes having iodine solution.

 Similarly, using fresh droppers, do the same procedure for test tube B and test

tube C and transfer the solution into second and third series of test tubes

having iodine solution.

 Note this time as zero minute reading.

 After an interval of 2 minutes, again take a few drops from each tube and add

to the iodine tubes and note the change in colour of iodine.

 Keep on repeating the experiment at an interval of every 2 minutes till colour

of iodine does not change.

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RESULT

It takes less time to reach achromic point at 37°C, as the enzyme is maximum active

at this temperature, while at higher and lower temperatures more time is taken to

reach the achromic point.

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CONCLUSION

FOR EFFECT OF pH:

 The activity of salivary amylase is best under acidic to neutral conditions.

 Salivary amylase is active in acidic pH and thus not much starch can

be detected in acidic solution as most of it gets converted to glucose.

FOR EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE

All enzymes are proteinaceous in nature. At lower temperatures, the enzyme

salivary amylase is deactivated and at higher temperatures, the enzyme is

denaturated.

Therefore, more time will be taken by enzyme to digest the starch at lower and higher

temperatures. At 37° C, the enzyme is most active, hence, takes less time to digest the

starch.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
 https://www.ebi.ac.uk/pdbe/news/wonders-salivary-amylase

 https://amrita.olabs.edu.in/?sub=79&brch=18&sim=236&cnt=1

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