Enzimas: Biocatalisadores Essenciais na Farmácia

Abstract

The use of enzymes by man has been occurring since ancient times, where Egyptian people already produced beer and wine using the enzymatic fermentation technique, even though they did not understand the mechanisms of the process (QUEISSADA; SILVA, 2020). According to the principles of chemical and biological science, enzymes are mostly proteins (except for ribozymes, which originate from amino acids linked by peptide bonds). These proteins play the role of biocatalysts in chemical and biological processes, acting to break down complex molecules into smaller units. They are synthesized by cells and have the ability to accelerate biochemical transformations in living organisms. (QUEIROZ; SOUSA, 2020). The use of enzyme inhibitors in the pharmaceutical industry is a constantly developing field and plays a crucial role in many aspects of medical research and drug production. Enzymes are proteins that accelerate biochemical responses, and play an essential role in many biological processes, including the treatment of diseases (PINTO, 2019). A bibliographic survey of scientific articles was carried out to carry out the literature review. The searches were carried out in the following databases: PubMed and Scielo, and the textual search tool Google Scholar. Articles were analyzed using the following inclusion criteria: literature review and systematic review articles published between 2009 and 2023 in Portuguese and English that presented data relevant to the topic. In this context, this review aimed to demonstrate the importance of biocatalysts used in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on the treatment of diseases.