diastase

8.4

An enzyme that breaks starch into sugar during digestion and in food processing

noun
/ˈdaɪəˌsteɪs/

Specialized

: diastasa

Mucicarmine and periodic acid Schiff stains with and without diastase were negative, confirming that the vacuolated clear cells were neither mucinous nor glycogen-rich squamous cells.
diastase enzyme

Examples

Mucicarmine and periodic acid Schiff stains with and without diastase were negative, confirming that the vacuolated clear cells were neither mucus cells nor glycogen-rich squamous cells.

Academic text (2007)
Acini have been reported to stain positive for mucin by the diastase/periodic acid-Schiff method.

Academic text (2006)
The enzyme diastase helps break down starches into sugars during digestion.
In bread making, diastase is used to convert starches in flour into maltose for fermentation.
The presence of diastase in the digestive system aids in the efficient processing of carbohydrates.

Synonyms

amylase

vsdiastase

Specialized

4 5.4

An enzyme in saliva and the pancreas that breaks starch into sugar

is a general enzyme preparation used in digestion and food processing

Surface Forms

diastase singular

diastases plural

Morphology

diastase = diast + ase

The suffix '-ase' clearly signals an enzyme (so readers may guess it's an enzyme), but the root 'diast-' is not a recognizable standalone English base for most learners and does not transparently indicate 'breaks down starch'.

Etymology

Diastase comes from the Greek word diastasis, which means 'separation'. It was named because the enzyme 'separates' starch into sugar, so it helps the body break down starchy foods.