Study the Effect of Temperature on Salivary Amylase Activity

[ps2id id=’background’ target=”/]

BACKGROUND

Saliva contains an enzyme called amylase that is responsible for hydrolyzing starch into maltose. The enzyme activity is affected by different factors among which temperature is a major one. Almost all the enzymes are proteinaceous in nature. In high temperature the enzyme is deactivated and in low temperature it is denatured.¹ Therefore, there is an optimum temperature in which enzyme works well.

The main objective of this experiment is to study the effect of temperature on salivary amylase activity.

[ps2id id=’requirements’ target=”/]

REQUIREMENTS

Reagents:   Starch suspension

Saliva solution

Iodine solution

Apparatus: Beakers

Tile with grooves

Test tubes

Thermometer

Syringe

Stopwatch

Bunsen burner

Tripod stand

Wire gauze

Glass rod

Water bath

Ice cubes

[ps2id id=’procedure’ target=”/]

PROCEDURE

Label test tubes as A1, A2, B1 and B2. Then with the help of a syringe take 1 ml of 0.1% starch suspension and put it in test tube A1 and B1. Take another syringe and put 2 ml of saliva solution in the test tube labeled A2 and B2. In water bath containing cold water keep test tube A1 and A2 immersed. Then after 5 minutes put the starch solution from test tube A1 into test tube A2 and mix it thoroughly with the help of a glass rod. Now initiate the stopwatch and take one drop of mixture from A2 and mix it with iodine solution present in the beginning grove of the tile groove. Then repeat this test with iodine in a gap of every 10 minutes. Then record carefully the time taken for complete hydrolysis of starch. Then throughout the experiment keep the test tubes with mixtures in the required water bath like warm water, hot water for various temperature settings. In each temperature the time taken for complete hydrolysis of the starch should be noted.^2,3 This variations in time will show the effect of various temperature on salivary amylase activity.

[ps2id id=’conclusion’ target=”/]

CONCLUSION

When performed carefully the experiment helps in knowing the exact effect the temperature has on the enzyme activity.

[ps2id id=’references’ target=”/][ps2id id=’1′ target=”/]

REFERENCES

1. Johnson, F.H., Brown, D.E.S., and Marsland, D.A.: A Basic Mechanism in the Biological Effects of Temperature, Pressure, and Narcotics, Science 95: 200-203, 1942.
   
2. Brown, D.E., Johnson, F.H., and Marsland, D.A.: The Pressure, Temperature Relations of Bacterial Luminescence, J. Cell. & Compt. Physiol. 20: 151, 1942.
   
3. Fukumoto, J: Studies on Bacterial Amylase. V. Optimal pH and Temperature and Heat Resistance, J. Agr. Chem. Soc. Japan 19: 853-861, 1943.