HUMAN NUTRITION

Detailed explanation-1: -Papain is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from the raw fruit of the papaya plant. Proteolytic enzymes help break proteins down into smaller protein fragments called peptides and amino acids. This is why papain is a popular ingredient in meat tenderizer.

Detailed explanation-2: -Papain is a highly efficient enzyme causing significant degradation of myofibrillar as well as collagen proteins (Ashie et al., 2002). Grzonka et al. (2007) found that papain had an optimum activity at a wide range of pH levels (5.8–7.0) and temperatures (50–57°C) specially when the substrate used was casein.

Detailed explanation-3: -Papain, a proteolytic enzyme used as a meat tenderizer and as a stabilizing agent in the brewing industry, is recovered from the latex of papaya fruit (Carica papaya L., Caricaceae). Furthermore, papaya fruits may also be used for the production of pectin.