Saccharification is a term in biochemistry for denoting any chemical change wherein a monosaccharide molecule remains intact after becoming unbound from another saccharide.[1] For example, when a carbohydrate is broken into its component sugar molecules by hydrolysis (e.g., sucrose being broken down into glucose and fructose).[2]
Enzymes such as amylases (e.g. in saliva) and glycoside hydrolase (e.g. within the brush border of the small intestine) are able to perform exact saccharification through enzymatic hydrolysis.[3] Through thermolysis, saccharification can also occur as a transient result, among many other possible effects, during caramelization. [4]