system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
The most important function of hydrochloric acid in the stomach is:
assistant
The correct answer is  Functions of HCl are: 

activation of pepsinogen to pepsin by providing acidic medium,
bacteriolytic action and
acidification of chyme which cause release of secretin and cholecystokinin hormones.