What Is Serrapeptase?

Discovered in the early 1970’s, this proteolytic enzyme was isolated from the Serratia species of bacteria located in the intestines of silkworms. Serrapeptase, also called serratiopeptidase, is truly a superior enzyme that provides strong anti-inflammatory properties. Today Serrapeptase is used all over Europe and Asia in clinical settings and is used as a viable alternative to ibuprofen and NSAIDs. It has the ability to break down non-living tissue in the body.

Serrapeptase is perhaps one of the world’s most exciting enzymes being studied in regard to its wide variety of clinical applications. Currently, especially in Europe and Asia, it is clinically used for anti-inflammatory conditions such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, fibrocystic breast disease and carpal tunnel syndrome. One of the most well-known proponents for this enzyme was the German physician, Dr. Hans Nieper. He had great success supplementing with serrapeptase for the reduction of heart disease and arterial blockage in his patients. He also believed that it may prevent stroke and was even more effective than EDTA chelation for removing arterial plaque.

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The hemicellulase enzyme breaks down hemicellulose, which is a type of cellulase and a key component of the cell wall in all plants. Different forms of plant hemicellulose include glucans, galactans, xylans, mannans and pentosans. Common fiber-rich breakfast cereals, for example, have a large amount of hemicelluloses (2 to 12%). Hemicellulase is needed to break down these fiber-rich components, and because it is not produced naturally in the human body, we rely on microorganisms that live in the human digestive tract to produce it for us.

The hemicellulase enzyme has the ability to take non-cellulose polysaccharides (long chains of sugars) we eat and convert them into usable constituents. Hemicellulase, which is crucial for the breaking down of fruits, vegetables and many grains is required to break down the “hard” hemicellulose carbohydrates, which are known to slow digestion and the absorption of various nutrients. If we eat large amounts of plant material, but do not have enough hemicellulase, we get a very limited prebiotic intake. These prebiotics are composed of smaller indigestible saccharide units that serve as fuel for various types of probiotics (good bacteria) resident in the digestive tract.

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Amylase is one of the primary starch-digesting enzymes secreted in the body. It is somewhat unusual in that it is produced not only by the pancreas but also in the mouth as a component of saliva. This form is known as ptyalin (ti´ah-lin), and it begins the enzymatic digestion of starches in the oral cavity as food is chewed and mixed with saliva. This begins the reduction of larger, more complex starches into simpler sugars; however the process is largely arrested as the food enters the more acidic environment of the stomach.

Pancreatic amylase goes into action after the partially-digested food is emptied into the small intestine and the pH returns to the neutral range. Starches continue to be broken into smaller trisaccharides and disaccharides and possibly even into glucose for energy. The primary type of amylase is known as alpha amylase, which hydrolyses (breaks down) the bonds in long starch or glycogen molecules into smaller chains of glucose called dextrins, which are easier to digest. Amylase is also produced by various bacteria and fungal organisms like Aspergillus oryzae from which it can be isolated for effective, vegan-safe dietary supplements.

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What Is Xylanase?

Xylanase (pronounced zy-lan-ase) is an naturally-occurring enzyme commonly found in microbes and fungi that can play a vital role in human digestion. Scientifically speaking, it is an enzyme that breaks down a type of fiber known as hemicellulose by converting one of its components (beta 1,4 xylan) into a simple sugar called xylose.

This is very useful for these smaller organisms since it allows them to extract nutrients from vegetable matter that has lots of fiber. These same properties also make xylanase commercially important because it is able to break down plant fiber for a variety of uses from dough conditioning to papermaking.

It also can break down hemicellulose in your digestive tract, helping you to liberate more plant nutrients from vegetables with a high fiber content and, hopefully, preventing some of the gas or digestive discomfort that is often associated with fibrous veggies, grains, and legumes.

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What is Pectinase?

Commonly found in many fruits such as bananas and apples, pectinase plays a key role not only in the digestive processes, but also, and perhaps more importantly, in total physical well-being and anti-aging.

Pectin is a type of fiber that makes up the cell wall of many types of fruits and vegetables. It is composed of a long polysaccharides that form a gelatinous substance in the center of the plant cell wall and between plant cells. It occurs primarily in the non-woody parts of plants, which, of course, are the parts that most likely to be consumed.

Pectin is a part of our diet not only because of its presence in the fruits and vegetable, but it is also used extensively as a gelling and thickening agent in processed foods, particularly as a thickener in jams and jellies. Pectinase, along with cellulase and hemicellulase, helps with the digestion of plant based foods, increasing their nutritional and prebiotic value.

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