α-Amylase Inhibition: Some Practical Considerations

Enzyme inhibitors are important tools of nature for regulating the activity of enzymes in case of emergency. Proteinaceous inhibitors are the best studied in this group. Comparatively less is known about the inhibitors of α-amylase, which might be an attractive candidate having potentials in various fields, from the treatment of diabetes to crop protection. The area has benefited from the recent determination of structures of α-amylases, inhibitors and complexes. Besides, discussing various types of α-amylase inhibitors and their structural basis of inhibition, the biotechnological approaches for exploitation of its inhibitory function have been outlined in this minireview.