Editing Papain

'''Papain''' is a powerful [[digestive enzyme]] commonly found and extracted from the [[papaya fruit]]. It is also referred to as '''papaya proteinase'''. The enzyme plays a crucial role in digestive processes involving breaking down tough protein fibers. For this reason, it has been commonly used in its native [[South America]] for thousands of years in the digestion of meats.

== History ==
The history of Papain dates back to the ancient [[Maya civilization]], who were the first to discover the benefits of Papain. They used it for various purposes, including meat tenderization, wound healing, and as a digestive aid.

== Structure ==
Papain is a cysteine protease (EC 3.4.22.2) that cleaves peptide bonds of basic amino acids, leucine, or glycine. It consists of 212 amino acids stabilized by three disulfide bridges.

== Uses ==
Papain has a wide range of uses in various industries. It is used in the food industry as a meat tenderizer and in the beer industry for chillproofing beers. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is used in various treatments such as throat infections and digestion problems.

== Side Effects ==
While Papain is generally safe for most people when taken by mouth in amounts found in foods, it can cause allergic reactions in some people.

== See Also ==
* [[Protease]]
* [[Papaya]]
* [[Digestive enzyme]]

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Enzymes]]
[[Category:Digestive system]]
[[Category:Food science]]
[[Category:Pharmaceuticals]]

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File:Papain_cartoon.png|Papain
File:Anthelmintic_effect_of_papain_on_Heligmosomoides_bakeri.ogv|Anthelmintic effect of papain on Heligmosomoides bakeri
File:2fab_fc.svg|Papain
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