Papain is proteolytic enzyme extracted from the raw fruit of the papaya plant. Proteolytic enzymes help break proteins down into smaller proteins fragments called pep des and amino acids. This is why papain is a popular ingredient in meat tenderizer.
White to yellow colored powder with a typical papain odour. Soluble in water with a strong, pungent odour and unpleasant taste.
Papain is a cysteine protease of the pep dase C1 family. papain consists of a single polypeptide chain with three disulphide bridges and a sulfhydryl group necessary for activity of the enzyme. Molecular weight of papain is 23,406 DA (Amino acid sequence). With most substances, papain exhibits maximum activity in the temperature range of 50°c to 60 °C. At room temperature, papain is generally useful in a pH range of 4.0 to 8.0. it’s useful pH range will depend on
temperature, nature & concentration of substrate.
At lower temperatures, its useful pH range will extend further into both alkaline and acid sides.
Up to 1000 TU/mg
The acceptance criteria for all enzyme assays are: NLT 85.0% and NMT 115.0% of the declared unit of enzyme activity. One USP unit of papain activity that releases the equivalent of 1µg of tyrosine from a specified casein substrate under the conditions of the assay, using the enzyme concentration that liberates 40µg of tyrosine per ml of test solution.
Papain has been exploited commercially in many applications on such as F & B Industries, meat tenderization, functional protein production, flavour production, brewing, effluent treatment, and Pharmaceuticals.