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

No, the amylase enzymes in saliva only helps to initiate digestion of carbohydrates into sugars. The sugars produced by salivary amylase action is detected by the tongue and the resultant sweet taste helps our brain interpret that what we are chewing is in fact edible.