eli5 Are the enzymes in our saliva strong enough to “digest/dissolves” foods in our mouth , only by themselves over a long period of time ?

Question

Sorry if i’m not clear enough , english is my second language , my question is , for example : i I took a bite , and never swallowed , would the enzyme in my saliva be strong enough to dissolve the bite (over a long periode of time ) ?

In: 3

Answer 1

They only break down starches, but they do that fairly well.

If you spit into a starch-thickened sauce (or less grossly, use the same tasting spoon twice) the sauce will slowly break down and become runny.

There were old traditions, in South America, Japan, and old Norse at least, of chewing and spitting grains to break down the starch so it could be fermented. Malting (sprouting grains so they make starch-dissolving enzymes) has, perhaps happily, replaced that tradition.