Some Aspects of Enhancement of Proteolytic Activity of Papain

Abstract

Sun drying of papain, the most commonly used method.in Sri Lanka was found to yield papain of inferior quality. Both oven drying and vacuum drying were found to be superior to sun drying. Vacuum drying yielded the highest proteolytic activity. Oven drying at 50°C gave best results.Proteolytic activity of crude papain can be enhanced by the addition of sodium metabisulphite (SMBS) or thymol to raw papaya milk prior to drying. Combined addition of both sodium etabisulphite and thymol followed by vacuum drying yielded unpurified papain with the highest proteolytic activity. A new processing procedure tested gave satisfactory results.