During digestion, which substance is responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates?

The substance responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates during digestion is Pancreatic Amylase. This enzyme is secreted by the pancreas and is active in the small intestine, where it continues the digestion of carbohydrates that began in the mouth with salivary amylase.

After carbohydrates are initially broken down into shorter polysaccharides in the mouth, pancreatic amylase further hydrolyzes these carbohydrates into disaccharides and eventually into monosaccharides, which can then be absorbed by the intestinal lining.

Salivary amylase also plays a role in the initial stage of carbohydrate digestion within the mouth, but its activity is limited to that environment and the carbohydrate breakdown is continued primarily by pancreatic amylase throughout the digestive process. Gastric acid primarily functions in protein digestion and does not contribute to carbohydrate breakdown. Cholecystokinin is a hormone that helps regulate digestive processes but is not directly involved in the enzymatic breakdown of carbohydrates.