Proteinaceous α-amylase inhibitors: purification, detection methods, types and mechanisms

α-Amylase is abundant in plants and animals. α-Amylase inhibitors can reduce endogenous α-amylase activity, playing an essential role in agricultural pest control, and preventing and treating human disease. In the agricultural field, α-Amylase inhibitors can restrict pest that relies on the starch of crops. Acarbose is an α-amylase inhibitor used to treat diabetes. Some α-amylase inhibitors are represented by antinutritional factors, while others are proteinaceous. Depending on their structures and sources, researchers have divided them into seven types: The knottin-like type, the γ-thionin-like type, the cereal type, the Kunitz type, the thaumatin-like type, and the lectin-like type. This paper introduces the methods for separating, purifying, and detecting proteinaceous α-amylase inhibitors while examining the structure and inhibition mechanism of several proteinaceous α-amylase inhibitors. Finally, it explores the potential applications of α-amylase inhibitors.