Are oral enzymes destroyed by stomach acid?
Most enzymes taken orally, including those made from pig pancreas extracts, are inactivated by the low pH of stomach acid. Fungal enzymes, however, are acid-resistant, having activity at pH as low as 2.0 and as high as 10. Fungal plants use their enzymes to break down and digest plant material that they grow upon. Since the site of fungal growth in nature can vary, the fungus has evolved enzyme systems that allow the plant to grow under a variety of conditions, including differences in pH. Pancreatic enzymes are designed to work under a much narrow range of pH, since its environment is more controlled. Pancreatic enzymes available as prescription drugs must be enterically coated to provide resistance to acidity. Some of the coatings contain methyl acrylate, which some speculate as the causative agent in fibrosing of the colon seen with prolonged high dosing of pancreatic enzymes.
