Amylases inhibitors

Substances that block amylases — the α- and β-amylases that break starch down into sugars. Alpha-amylase inhibitors occur naturally in legumes and cereals, where they act as antinutritional factors: by resisting salivary and pancreatic amylases they slow starch digestion and glucose release, which is undesirable in large amounts but interesting in moderation. Food technologists and nutritionists exploit mild inhibition deliberately — bean-derived inhibitors appear in functional foods and supplements marketed for carbohydrate management. Breeders, meanwhile, select against excessive inhibitor levels in staple crops to protect the nutritional value of starch-rich diets.