Question:

Salivary amylase helps in digestion of which of the following nutrients:

Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
  • Fats
  • Vitamins
  • Starch
  • Proteins
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The Correct Option is C

Approach Solution - 1

The correct option is (C): Starch.
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Approach Solution -2

The question asks which nutrient salivary amylase acts on. Let's look at each option against what this enzyme actually does.

  1. Fats: Fat digestion is carried out by lipase enzymes, mainly lingual lipase in the mouth and pancreatic lipase in the small intestine, not by amylase.
  2. Vitamins: Vitamins are absorbed largely unchanged; they are not broken down by digestive enzymes such as amylase at all.
  3. Starch: Salivary amylase, also called ptyalin, is secreted by the salivary glands and breaks the glycosidic bonds in starch, converting it into smaller units like maltose and dextrins. This is precisely the substrate this enzyme targets.
  4. Proteins: Protein digestion begins with pepsin in the stomach and continues with trypsin and chymotrypsin in the small intestine. Amylase plays no role in breaking down proteins.

Salivary amylase is a carbohydrate-digesting enzyme, and starch is the carbohydrate it specifically acts on.

Therefore, the correct answer is Starch.

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