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Biomolecules
Special Issues
Digestive Enzymes in Health and Disease
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Digestive Enzymes in Health and Disease

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Enzymology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 3664

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Stefan G. Pierzynowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden
2. Department of Medical Biology, IMW, Jaczewskiego, Poland
Interests: peptide absorption and metabolism; animal models for orphan diseases
Dr. Kateryna Pierzynowska

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
2. Department of Animal Physiology, The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jabłonna, Poland
Interests: amylase metabolic regulatory features; animal models for human diseases
Dr. Piotr Wychowański

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Head and Neck and Sensory Organs, Division of Oral Surgery and Implantology, Institute of Clinical Dentistry, Gemelli Foundation for the University Policlinic, Catholic University of the “Sacred Heart”, 00168 Rome, Italy
2. Departament of Interventional Dentistry, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
Interests: animal models in dentistry; dietary factors and dental health
Dr. Janine Donaldson

E-Mail
Guest Editor
1. Anara AB, 231 32 Trelleborg, Sweden
2. School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Interests: metabolic effects of dietary interventions and their implications for health and disease; metabolic responses to dietary stressors; glucose metabolism; hepatic steatosis induced by high-fructose and high-cholesterol diets; metabolic health markers; bioactive compounds in the attenuation of diet-induced metabolic abnormalities; therapeutic strategies for metabolic dysfunctions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Special Issue of Biomolecules, titled ‘Digestive Enzymes in Health and Disease’. Biomolecules is focused on the structures and functions of bioactive molecules, the molecular mechanisms in which these biomolecules are involved, and the various applications of these biomolecules. The ‘Digestive Enzymes in Health and Disease’ Special Issue will explore the diverse roles of digestive enzymes in physiological processes, their implications in disease mechanisms, and their therapeutic potential in clinical applications, all of which are well within the journal’s scope.

Digestive enzymes are essential to maintaining metabolic homeostasis, aiding in nutrient digestion and absorption, and protecting against gastrointestinal dysfunction. Disruptions in digestive enzyme activity are associated with the development of disorders such as malabsorption syndromes and inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes. Recent advances in the research field offer novel insights into the functions of these digestive enzymes, many of which include ‘extra-digestive’ roles, paving the way for possible innovative therapeutic strategies. Thus, this Special Issue aims to deepen our understanding of digestive enzymes and their clinical relevance.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following themes:

  • Biochemical and molecular mechanisms of digestive enzymes.
  • Regulation of digestive enzyme activity in health and disease.
  • Digestive enzymes and the gut microbiome.
  • Role of enzymes in gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders.
  • Therapeutic applications of digestive enzymes.
  • Advances in enzyme replacement therapies.

This Special Issue will provide an opportunity for researchers to share their recent results and contribute to advancing the field.

We look forward to your contributions to this special issue.

Prof. Dr. Stefan G. Pierzynowski
Dr. Kateryna Pierzynowska
Dr. Piotr Wychowański
Dr. Janine Donaldson
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digestive enzymes
  • gastrointestinal health
  • enzyme replacement therapy
  • gut microbiome
  • metabolic disorders
  • enzyme regulation
  • disease biomarkers
  • inflammatory diseases
  • nutrient absorption
  • therapeutic enzymes

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 471 KB  
Article
The Intestinal Mechanisms in the Excretion of Pepsinogen, Amylase and Lipase in Coprofiltrate in Women During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
by Elena Kolodkina and Sergey Lytaev
Biomolecules 2025, 15(8), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15081099 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 464
Abstract
Background: Enzymes secreted by the digestive glands are excreted from the body with urine, sweat and feces, and they are also removed from the blood due to their participation in the enzymatic provision of the secretion entering the gastrointestinal tract. Objective: [...] Read more.
Background: Enzymes secreted by the digestive glands are excreted from the body with urine, sweat and feces, and they are also removed from the blood due to their participation in the enzymatic provision of the secretion entering the gastrointestinal tract. Objective: The aim of this work was to analyze the activity of pepsinogen, amylase and lipase in the coprofiltrate of pregnant women in each trimester of pregnancy and in the postpartum period, taking into account the timing and type of delivery (term, premature, late delivery or cesarean section). Methods: Data from studies of non-pregnant (n = 45) and pregnant (n = 193) women were analyzed. The materials for preparation coprofiltrate were collected during delivery. Pepsinogen activity was determined by proteolytic activity at pH = 1.5–2.0 using the tyrosine spectrophotometric method, while amylase activity was determined by the amyloclastic method of Karavey, and lipolytic activity was determined by a unified kinetic method using olive oil as a substrate. Outcomes: A small amount of pepsinogen was excreted in the coprofiltrate, and while the level of its excretion increased after childbirth, it remained below the control values. At the same time, an increase in the amylolytic activity of the coprofiltrate was observed in all groups of pregnant women examined from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy. In pregnant women, multidirectional changes in lipase activity were observed depending on the timing and type of delivery. Conclusions: At the end of pregnancy, amylolytic activity increased in all women, and pepsinase activity decreased compared to the indicators of non-pregnant women. No reliable differences were found in the lipolytic activity of the coprofiltrate in pregnant women at the end of pregnancy and the indicators of non-pregnant women. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digestive Enzymes in Health and Disease)
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11 pages, 520 KB  
Article
Hemodynamic and Morpho-Biochemical Parameters of Rabbit Blood After Injection of Enzyme Preparations
by V. G. Vertiprakhov, N. A. Sergeenkova, S. V. Karamushkina and B. Sh. Dashieva
Biomolecules 2025, 15(7), 1049; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15071049 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 597
Abstract
The anti-inflammatory effect of trypsin in animals and humans is the basis for the development of new veterinary and medical drugs and alternatives to antibiotics. The current experiment analyzed the effect of pig pancreatic tissue lyophilizate and crystalline trypsin on the hemodynamic and [...] Read more.
The anti-inflammatory effect of trypsin in animals and humans is the basis for the development of new veterinary and medical drugs and alternatives to antibiotics. The current experiment analyzed the effect of pig pancreatic tissue lyophilizate and crystalline trypsin on the hemodynamic and morpho-biochemical parameters of rabbit blood. The experiments were carried out on 20 rabbits of the Soviet chinchilla breed of 6–8 months of age. Animals were intramuscularly injected with sterile solution of 0.9% NaCl in 0.5 mL (group 1, n = 5), sterile solution of crystalline trypsin in 0.9% NaCl at a concentration of 0.25 mg/kg body weight (group 2, n = 5), sterile solution of crystalline trypsin in 0, 9% NaCl at a concentration of 0.5 mg/kg body weight (group 3, n = 5), or sterile suspension of pig pancreas lyophilizate at a concentration of 1 mg/kg body weight (group 4, n = 5). Animals were injected once daily for five consecutive days. Significant changes in arterial blood pressure, serum enzymes activity, and the count of various blood cellular components were induced by the administration of different trypsin preparations. All data obtained indicate the presence of a biologically active substance in the lyophilizate, the effect of which requires further animal studies to create a prototype for the development of new drugs for human and animal use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digestive Enzymes in Health and Disease)
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Review

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15 pages, 755 KB  
Review
Non-Pancreatic Digestive Enzymes
by Drucy Borowitz
Biomolecules 2025, 15(9), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15091259 - 30 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1086
Abstract
Although the pancreas is the organ that produces the most critical digestive enzymes, there are other important contributors to the cleavage of food into absorbable units. Pre-pancreatic digestion of carbohydrates occurs through the action of salivary amylase. Pre-pancreatic digestion of fats is mediated [...] Read more.
Although the pancreas is the organ that produces the most critical digestive enzymes, there are other important contributors to the cleavage of food into absorbable units. Pre-pancreatic digestion of carbohydrates occurs through the action of salivary amylase. Pre-pancreatic digestion of fats is mediated by lingual and gastric lipases, and their action may be important as a signal for coordinated digestion. Pepsin, which is present in the stomach, initiates the digestion of dietary proteins into peptides and amplifies distal proteolysis. The major post-pancreatic intestinal carbohydrate-digesting enzymes are sucrase-isomaltase, maltase-glucoamylase and lactase-phlorizin hydrolase. There are no post-pancreatic mucosal enzymes that act on dietary triglycerides; however, the complete digestion of phospholipids depends on several brush border phospholipases. Intestinal processing is an important contributor to digestion of proteins, although mucosal proteases may serve as signaling proteins rather than as primary adjuncts to dietary protein digestion and absorption. This review describes the role of these non-pancreatic digestive enzymes in supporting nutritional health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digestive Enzymes in Health and Disease)
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13 pages, 726 KB  
Review
Symphony of Digestion: Coordinated Host–Microbiome Enzymatic Interplay in Gut Ecosystem
by Volodymyr I. Lushchak
Biomolecules 2025, 15(8), 1151; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15081151 - 11 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1036
Abstract
Digestion was once viewed as a host-driven process, dependent on salivary, gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal enzymes to break down macronutrients. However, new insights into the gut microbiota have redefined this view, highlighting digestion as a cooperative effort between host and microbial enzymes. Host [...] Read more.
Digestion was once viewed as a host-driven process, dependent on salivary, gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal enzymes to break down macronutrients. However, new insights into the gut microbiota have redefined this view, highlighting digestion as a cooperative effort between host and microbial enzymes. Host enzymes initiate nutrient breakdown, while microbial enzymes, especially in the colon, extend this process by fermenting resistant polysaccharides, modifying bile acids, and transforming phytochemicals and xenobiotics into bioactive compounds. These microbial actions produce metabolites like short-chain fatty acids, which influence gut barrier function, immune regulation, and metabolism. I propose two frameworks to describe this interaction: the “duet,” emphasizing sequential enzymatic cooperation, and the “orchestra,” reflecting a spatially and temporally coordinated system with host–microbiota feedback. Disruption of this symbiosis, through antibiotics, inflammation, diet, or aging, leads to dysbiosis, impaired digestion, and contributes to metabolic, neurologic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory diseases. Recognizing digestion as a dynamic, integrated system opens new paths for therapies and nutrition. These include enzyme-targeted prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and personalized diets. Embracing this systems-level perspective enables innovative diagnostics and treatments, aiming to restore enzymatic balance and improve digestive and systemic health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digestive Enzymes in Health and Disease)
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