An Assignment

On
Digestion and absorption of carbohydrate.

Course tittle: Human Physiology

Course Code: FN-2103

Submitted To: Jannaty Moyna

Assistant Director of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority.
Former Lecturer of Food and Nutrition Department
KCC Women’s College, Khulna
Affiliated to Khulna University.

Submitted By: Samira Rahman

Year:2nd Term: 1st
Roll: KCCWC-FN-191007
Department: Food and Nutrition
KCC Women’s College, Khulna
Affiliated to Khulna University

Date of submission:23rd August, 2021

 Digestion and absorption of carbohydrate:
Carbohydrates are essential food nutrients that our body turns into glucose to
give us the energy to function. Carbohydrates can be defined chemically as
neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates come in
simple forms such as sugars and in complex forms such as starches and fiber. The
body breaks down most sugars and starches into glucose, a simple sugar that the
body can use to feed its cells. Complex carbohydrates are derived from plants.
Digestion of carbohydrate:
1. Mouth or oral cavity.
2. Stomach.
3. Small intestine
4. Large intestine

1.Mouth or oral cavity:

The mechanical and chemical digestion of carbohydrates starts within the

mouth. Chewing, moreover known as mastication, disintegrates the
carbohydrate nourishments into smaller and smaller pieces. The salivary
organs within the oral cavity discharge saliva that coats the nourishment or
food particles. Saliva contains the enzyme, salivary amylase. This enzyme
breaks the bonds between the monomeric sugar units of disaccharides,
oligosaccharides, and starches. The salivary amylase breaks down amylose
and amylopectin into smaller chains of glucose, called dextrin and maltose.
The expanded concentration of maltose within the mouth that comes
about from the mechanical and chemical breakdown of starches in entire
grains is what enhances their sweetness. Only about five percent of
starches are broken down within the mouth. (Usually, a great thing as more
glucose within the mouth would lead to more tooth decay or rot.) When
carbohydrates reach the stomach no further chemical breakdown happens
since the amylase protein does not work within the acidic conditions of the
stomach. But mechanical breakdown is ongoing—the solid peristaltic
compressions of the stomach blend the carbohydrates into the more
uniform blend of chyme.
 2.Stomach:
The chyme is gradually expelled into the upper part of the small intestine. It
is swallowed and passed through the esophagus. Upon, entry of the chyme
into the small intestine, the pancreas releases pancreatic juice through a
duct. This pancreatic juice contains the enzyme, pancreatic amylase, which
starts again the breakdown of dextrin into shorter and shorter
carbohydrate chains. Additionally, enzymes are secreted by the intestinal
cells that line the villi. These enzymes, known collectively as disaccharidase,
are sucrase, maltase, and lactase. Sucrase breaks sucrose into glucose and
fructose molecules. Maltase breaks the bond between the two glucose
units of maltose, and lactase breaks the bond between galactose and
glucose. Once carbohydrates are chemically broken down into single sugar
units they are then transported into the inside of intestinal cells.

3.Small intestine:

After being in the stomach, the chyme enters the beginning portion of the
small intestine, or the duodenum. In response to chyme being in the
duodenum, the pancreas releases the enzyme pancreatic amylase, which
breaks the polysaccharide down into a disaccharide, a chain of only two
sugars linked together. The small intestine then produces enzymes called
lactase, sucrase and maltase, which break down into a disaccharide into
monosaccharides. The monosaccharides are single sugars that are then
absorbed in the small intestine.

4.Large intestine (Colon):

Carbohydrates that are not digested and absorbed by the small intestine
reach the colon where they are partly broken down by intestinal bacteria.
Fiber, which cannot be digested like carbohydrates, is excreted with feces
or partly digested by the intestinal bacteria.

Digestion of carbohydrate: Digestion of carbohydrate is performed by

several enzymes. Starch and glycogen are broken into glucose by amylase
and maltase. Sucrose and lactose are broken down by sucrase and lactase.
A table is illustrated below:
Enzyme Produced Site of Substrate End Products
By Action Acting On
Salivary Salivary Mouth Polysaccharid Disaccharides
amylase glands es (Starch) (maltose),
oligosaccharides.
Pancreatic Pancreas Small Polysaccharid Disaccharides(malto
amylase intestin es (starch) se)
e Monosaccharides.
Oligosaccharid Lining of Small Disaccharides Monosaccharides
es the intestin (e.g., glucose,
intestine; e fructose, galactose)
brush
border
membran
e
 Absorption of carbohydrate:

Carbohydrate absorption begins with the breakdown of complex

carbohydrates by salivary and gastric enzymes into oligosaccharides, which
are then hydrolyzed to monosaccharides by specific disaccharides located
at the enterocyte brush border. Carbohydrate, are absorbed in the small
intestine.

The end products of sugars and starches digestion are the monosaccharides
glucose, fructose, and galactose. Glucose, fructose, and galactose are
absorbed across the membrane of the small intestine and transported to
the liver where they are either used by the liver, or further distributed to
the rest of the body.
There are two major pathways for the metabolism of fructose; the more
prominent pathway is in the liver and the other occurs in skeletal muscle.
The breakdown of fructose in skeletal muscle is similar to glucose. In the
liver and depending on exercise condition, gender, health status and the
availability of other energy sources, the majority of fructose is used for
energy production, or can be enzymatically converted to glucose and then
potentially glycogen, or is converted to lactic acid.

The notion that fructose is an unregulated energy substrate and directly

fuels fat synthesis in the liver. It is important to note that the metabolism of
fructose involves many regulated reactions and its fate mat vary depending
on nutrients consumed simultaneously with fructose as well as the energy
status of the body.

Glucose and Galactose: They are transported from the intestinal lumen into
the cells by a Na+ dependent co-transport (SGLT 1) in the luminal
membrane. The sugar is transported “uphill” and Na+- is transported
“downhill”. They are then transported from cell to blood by facilitated
diffusion (GLUT 2). The Na+- pump into the basolateral membrane keeps
the intracellular [Na+] low, thus maintaining the Na+ gradient across the
luminal membrane.
Fructose is transported exclusively by facilitated diffusion; therefore, it
cannot be absorbed against a concentration gradient. The end product of
carbohydrates digestion is glucose, fructose, galactose. These are readily
absorbed through the intestinal mucosal cells into the blood stream. Three
mechanism are responsible for the absorption of the carbohydrate.

Passive diffusion
Mechanism
Absorption of Facilitated
carbohydrates diffusion

Active transport

A table is stated below:

Features Passive Facilitated Active diffusion
diffusion diffusion
Concentration Down the Down the Against a
gradient concentration concentration concentration
gradient from gradient from gradient from
high to low high to low. This low to high. The
depends on the transport of
conc sugar glucose and
across the galactose across
intestinal lumen the brush
and mucosal boarder of
cells. mucosal cells
occur by active
transport.
Energy None None
expenditure
Carrier protein/ Not required Required Required
transporter
Speed Slowest mode Fast Fastest mode

Our digestive system breaks down carbs into glucose or blood sugar.