Papain is the best known cysteine protease. It was isolated in 1879 from the fruits of Carica papaya and was also the first protease of which a crystallographic structure was determined.
Papain is gathered by scoring the surface of the mature, unripe fruit after which the latex is collected and dried.
Papain is usually considered as a typical globular protein of modest size: its molecule weight is just 23,000 Da.
Upon heating it denatures in a rather narrow temperature range with extensive heat absorption.
The optimal activity of papain occurs art pH 5.8-7.0 and at temperature 50-57 °C when casein is used as the substrate.
It is a digestive enzyme that is used in meat tenderizers to breakdown tough meat fibers. South Americans have used papain to tenderize meat for centuries and it is now available in powdered meat tenderizers all over the word.
Papain is synthesized in the leaf mesophyll and transported to the pericarp of developing fruit via laticiferous ducts, the concentration of the protease is highest in the latex of unripe fruits.
What is papain?
The Most Popular Post
-
Beginning in the 1990s, scientists embarked on a revolutionary journey by creating numerous genetically modified (GM) food varieties. This m... -
Texture of foods is a highly subjective human experience with foods during their consumption. Evaluation of texture involves measuring the...
-
Originating from Japan, soba noodles hold a unique place in Japanese cuisine, crafted from a blend of buckwheat flour (soba-ko) and wheat fl... -
Food science stands at the intersection of biology, physical science, and engineering, providing a crucial foundation for understanding the ... -
Sour cream is created through the fermentation of pasteurized cream by lactic acid-producing bacteria. This process not only thickens the cr...