Final answer:
The antimicrobial enzyme produced by our salivary glands is lysozyme, which damages the cell walls of bacteria aiding in oral health as part of the innate immune system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The antimicrobial enzyme produced by our salivary glands is lysozyme. Lysozyme plays a crucial role in oral health by targeting bacterial cell walls and breaking down the glycosidic linkages between the sugars N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) that are found in bacterial peptidoglycan. This function is part of the body's first line of defense in the innate immune system. Unlike lysozyme, other enzymes like perforin, granzyme, and pepsin have different roles: perforin and granzyme are involved in immune responses, while pepsin is a digestive enzyme active in the stomach that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides.