Determination of the Achromic Period of Salivary Amylase

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BACKGROUND

An enzyme produced by salivary glands is salivary amylase. Like all other enzymes amylase also acts as a catalyst that speeds up the reaction. In the salivary amylase activity, the rate of reaction is measured by total amount of substrate that has been utilized by the product in an unit time. In case of salivary amylase activity starch is substrate whereas maltose is the product.¹

Starch +amylase =maltose

Starch+amylase+iodine=blue colour

The time taken by the reaction mixture to reach a point where no colour is formed is called achromic period.²

So, the basic objective of this test is to determine the achromic period of salivary amylase activity.

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REQUIREMENTS

Reagents:    Starch – 1%

Phosphate buffer

Enzyme: saliva which is the best source of amylase. In a beaker collect some saliva and make it 1:20 dilution with distilled water.³

NaCl (1%) required for enzyme activity

Apparatus: Beaker

Flask

Water bath

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PROCEDURE

Take a test tube and to it add 5 ml of 1% starch, 2 ml of 1 % NaCl solution and phosphate buffer 2 ml and then place it in water bath at about 38^oC. Then to it add 1 ml of salivary enzyme solution. Then for every minute add 1 drop of iodine with 1 drop of the mixture. The point at which the blue colour is not formed is the achromic point and the entire time taken is achromic period.⁴

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CONCLUSION

Salivary amylase is a powerful enzyme and study of its activity is quite useful.

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REFERENCES

1. G. H. Perry, et al. (2007) Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation. Nat. Genet. 39, 1256–1260.
   
2. D. Weiner, E.V. Khankin, Y. Levy, A. Z. Reznick (2009) Effects of cigarette smoke borne reactive nitrogen species on salivary alpha‐amylase activity and protein modifications. J. Physiol. Pharmacol.60, 127–132.
   
3. M. B. Rao, A. M. Tanksale, M. S. Gathe, V. V. Deshpande (1998) Molecular and biotechnological aspects of microbial proteases. Microbial. Mol. Biol. R 62, 597–635.
   
4. H. C. Barfoed (1981) Detergents. MacMillan, Godfrey, London, pp. 284–29.