淀粉酶【拼音：diàn-fěn méi；法语, 德语, 英文：Amylase】是一种水解酶，是目前发酵工业上应用最广泛的一类酶。淀粉酶一般作用于可溶性淀粉、直链淀粉、糖原等α-1,4-葡聚糖，水解α-1,4-糖苷键的酶。根据作用的方式可分为α-淀粉酶（EC3.2.1.1.）与β-淀粉酶（EC3.2.1.2.）。

α-淀粉酶广泛分布于动物（唾液、胰脏等）、植物（麦芽、山萮菜）及微生物。微生物的酶几乎都是分泌性的。此酶以Ca为必需因子并作为稳定因子，既作用于直链淀粉，亦作用于支链淀粉，无差别地切断α-1,4-链。因此，其特征是引起底物溶液粘度的急剧下降和碘反应的消失，最终产物在分解直链淀粉时以麦芽糖为主，此外，还有麦芽三糖及少量葡萄糖。另一方面在分解支链淀粉时，除麦芽糖、葡萄糖外，还生成分支部分具有α-1,6-键的α-极限糊精。一般分解限度以葡萄糖为准是35-50％，但在细菌的淀粉酶中，亦有呈现高达70％分解限度的（最终游离出葡萄糖）。

An amylase (/ˈæmᵻleɪs/) is an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of starch into sugars. Amylase is present in the saliva of humans and some other mammals, where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Foods that contain large amounts of starch but little sugar, such as rice and potatoes, may acquire a slightly sweet taste as they are chewed because amylase degrades some of their starch into sugar. The pancreas and salivary gland make amylase (alpha amylase) to hydrolyse dietary starch into disaccharides and trisaccharides which are converted by other enzymes to glucose to supply the body with energy. Plants and some bacteria also produce amylase. As diastase, amylase was the first enzyme to be discovered and isolated (by Anselme Payen in 1833). Specific amylase proteins are designated by different Greek letters. All amylases are glycoside hydrolases and act on α-1,4-glycosidic bonds.