If a person’s salivary glands were unable to produce saliva which is mostly composed of water it lead to the following:
- delays carbohydrate complete digestion and
- inability to lubricate the food.
The digestion of carbohydrate (starch) starts from the mouth.
Specific enzymes which is located in the gastrointestinal tract (saliva) return the hydrogen and hydroxyl ions from water to the starch and thereby separate the monosaccharides from each other. this process is called carbohydrate hydrolysis.
The saliva contains water and the enzyme, salivary amylase, which is secreted by the salivary glands into the mouth. It serves the following function:
- Lubrication of food: Dry food entering the mouth is moistened and lubricated by saliva before it can be made into a bolus and ready for swallowing. This process is greatly interrupted if a person’s salivary glands were unable to produce saliva which is mostly composed of water.
- Chemical digestion of starch: saliva contains the enzyme amylase that begins the break down of starch, reducing them to disaccharide maltose. If this process id interrupted due to the inability of the salivary glands to produce saliva, it will lead to delay in the complete digestion of carbohydrates.
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