Which enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of triglycerides in standard analytical methods?

Which enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of triglycerides in standard analytical methods?

• A. Amylase
• B. Lipase
• C. Lactate dehydrogenase
• D. Leucine aminopeptidase

Answer: (B)

Lipase is the enzyme that hydrolyzes triglycerides. It specifically breaks the ester bonds in triglycerides to yield glycerol and free fatty acids. In standard triglyceride assays, lipase is used to release glycerol from the lipid substrate, and the glycerol is then measured through subsequent enzymatic steps (often involving glycerol kinase and glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase) to produce a detectable signal. The other enzymes don’t perform this hydrolysis of fats: amylase targets starch, lactate dehydrogenase handles redox conversion of lactate and pyruvate, and leucine aminopeptidase cleaves amino acids from peptides.

Lipase is the enzyme that hydrolyzes triglycerides. It specifically breaks the ester bonds in triglycerides to yield glycerol and free fatty acids. In standard triglyceride assays, lipase is used to release glycerol from the lipid substrate, and the glycerol is then measured through subsequent enzymatic steps (often involving glycerol kinase and glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase) to produce a detectable signal. The other enzymes don’t perform this hydrolysis of fats: amylase targets starch, lactate dehydrogenase handles redox conversion of lactate and pyruvate, and leucine aminopeptidase cleaves amino acids from peptides.