Digérants

Digérants, also known as digestants, are substances that promote digestion by breaking down complex macromolecules into smaller, absorbable units. The term is often used in French to describe agents that hydrolyze proteins, carbohydrates, fats, or nucleic acids during digestion or in laboratory processing.

Biological digérants are primarily enzymes. Common examples include proteases (proteins), amylases (starches), lipases (fats), and nucleases (nucleic acids). In humans and other animals, these enzymes are produced by digestive organs such as the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas, and small intestine and are active at specific pH and temperature ranges. Exogenous or supplemental digérants, such as lactase, pancreatin, bromelain, and papain, are used to assist digestion in cases of enzyme deficiency or intolerance.

Sources and contexts of use vary. Endogenous digérants are part of normal physiology and are released as part of the digestive process. Exogenous digérants are introduced through dietary supplements, specialized foods, or industrial applications. In laboratory settings, digestive enzymes are used to break down tissues or nucleic acids during sample preparation, histology, or molecular analyses.

Applications and considerations. Digérants have medical uses (for example, enzyme replacement therapies for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) and are employed in the food and pharmaceutical industries to improve digestion or process foods. Effectiveness depends on enzyme specificity, activity conditions (pH, temperature), and potential allergies or sensitivities.