[1][2] A crystal structure has been determined for tendamistat, the 74-amino acid inhibitor produced by Streptomyces tendae that targets a wide range of mammalian alpha-amylases.

The crystal structure of tendamistat revealed an immunoglobulin-like fold that could potentially adopt multiple conformations.

[citation needed] The intake of a single dose of alpha-amylase inhibitor before a meal containing complex carbohydrates clearly suppresses the glucose spike and may decrease the postprandial hyperglycemia (higher than 140 mg/dL; >7.8 mmol/L) in patients with type II diabetes.

[1] This ability is observed in the native/raw state of the alpha-amylase inhibitor; however, its consumption inside a meal that undergo heating (baking, frying or cooking/boiling) is expected to blunt its property to decrease the activity of carbohydrate digesting enzymes.

[4][1] The benefits of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors on health were shown to be stronger when the powder is consumed orally dissolved in water as a beverage in comparison to its intake as ordinary hard gelatin capsules.