Zeamatin inhibits trypsin and alpha-amylase activities.

Zeamatin is a 22-kDa protein isolated from Zea mays that has antifungal activity against human and plant pathogens. Unlike other pathogenesis-related group 5 proteins, zeamatin inhibits insect alpha-amylase and mammalian trypsin activities. It is of clinical significance that zeamatin did not inhibit human alpha-amylase activity and inhibited mammalian trypsin activity only at high molar concentrations.