Proton Pump Inhibitors - An Overview - Abstract
Production of acid in the upper gastrointestinal tract was developed in primitive fishes and has been preserved during evolution. Together with enzymes, the proteolytic enzyme pepsin, and a lipase, both being active at the extreme acidic condition in the stomach, the gastric juice is a liquid extremely suited for killing swallowed microorganisms. Although protein digestion starts in the stomach, the main function of the gastric juice is to kill micro-organisms and thus protect the organism from infections via the gut.