What triggers the production of salivary amylase?

Answer 1

Activity in the digestive tract begins before food even enters the mouth. As the meal is being prepared, sensory input such as the sight of a turkey being lifted out of the oven, the clatter of the table being set, and the smell of freshly baked bread may make your mouth become moist and your stomach begin to secrete digestive substances. This response occurs when the nervous system signals the digestive system to ready itself for a meal. This cephalic (pertaining to the head) response occurs as a result of external cues, such as sight and smell, even when the body is not in need of food.

The mouth is the entry point for food into the digestive tract. In the mouth, the taste of food continues the processes begun by the smells, sights, and sounds of food preparation. The presence of food in the mouth stimulates the flow of saliva from the salivary glands located internally at the sides of the face and immediately below and in front of the ears. Saliva contains the enzyme salivary amylase, which begins the digestion of carbohydrate. Salivary amylase can break the

long sugar chains of starch in the bread of the turkey sandwich into shorter chains of sugars. Saliva also lubricates the upper gastrointestinal tract and moistens the food so

that it can easily be tasted and swallowed.

As you can see, Amylase is one of the saliva components,to know what stimulates amylase production you should know what stimulates saliva production.

saliva production is controlled by parasympathatic and sympathatic nervous system (not by GI hormones), and is unique that is increased by both....parasympathatic is more important, however.

The parasympathatic stimulation (through cranial nerves VII & IX) increases saliva production by increasing transport processes in the acinar and ductal cells and by causing vasodilation.

Now you have the following...food or smell induces the parasympathatic, causing ACh release, cholinergic receptors on the acinar and ductal cells receive it inducing a second messenger called inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) and also increased intracellular Calcium ions, all of that activates the acinar or ductal cell to secrete saliva including the alpha-amylase.

The sympathatic does the same story with smaller effect and different names...norepinephrine activates adrenergic receptors, and the second messenger here is cAMP.

I hope I made it clear enough for you.

Answer 2

Temperature and pH levels alter the activity of salivary amylase

Answer 3

Temperature should be at 35oC to 55oC and the pH lies between 5-9.