A diastase (; from Greek language διάστασις, "separation") is any one of a group of that catalysis the breakdown of starch into maltose. For example, the diastase α-amylase degrades starch to a mixture of the disaccharide maltose; the trisaccharide maltotriose, which contains three α (1-4)-linked glucose residues; and oligosaccharides, known as dextrins, that contain the α (1-6)-linked glucose branches.
Diastase was the first enzyme discovered.See:
The commonly used -ase suffix for naming enzymes was derived from the name diastase.The naming of enzymes using the suffix "-ase" has been traced to French scientist Émile Duclaux (1840-1904), who intended to honor the discoverers of diastase by introducing the practice in his book Traité de Microbiologie, vol. 2 (Paris, France: Masson and Co., 1899), Chapter 1, especially page 9.
When used as a pharmaceutical drug, diastase has the ATC code .
Amylases can also be extracted from other sources including plants, saliva and milk.
Diastase is also used in conjunction with periodic acid–Schiff stain in histology. For example, glycogen is darkly stained by PAS but can be dissolved by diastase. Fungi, on the other hand, stain darkly with PAS even after treatment by diastase.
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