Papain is mixture of enzymes obtained from the green papaya (pawpaw) fruit. Papain is a highly aggressive, indiscriminate enzyme causing significant degradation to both myofibrillar and collagen proteins. The optimal temperature range for papain is 65-80°C. Papain cuts the protein chains in the fibrils and also in the connective tissue, disrupting the structural integrity of the muscle fibre, and tenderizing the meat. Besides, ficin is also an enzyme used to tenderize the meat but it exhibits less activity against all types of proteins when compared to papain and bromelain. Ficin is a vegetable-based enzyme derived from figs. This thiol protease, although capable of minimal degradation of collagen and elastin, will preferentially degrade myofibrillar protein. Ficin is able to degrade elastin at temperatures as low as 20°C whereas it has little activity against collagen and myofibrillar proteins below 40°C. Optimal activity occurs between 60-70°C. The optimal pH for activity is near 7 for collagen and myofibrillar proteins and approximately 5.0-5.5 for elastin
Papain is mixture of enzymes obtained from the green papaya (pawpaw) fruit. Papain is a highly aggressive, indiscriminate enzyme causing significant degradation to both myofibrillar and collagen proteins. The optimal temperature range for papain is 65-80°C. Papain cuts the protein chains in the fibrils and also in the connective tissue, disrupting the structural integrity of the muscle fibre, and tenderizing the meat. Besides, ficin is also an enzyme used to tenderize the meat but it exhibits less activity against all types of proteins when compared to papain and bromelain. Ficin is a vegetable-based enzyme derived from figs. This thiol protease, although capable of minimal degradation of collagen and elastin, will preferentially degrade myofibrillar protein. Ficin is able to degrade elastin at temperatures as low as 20°C whereas it has little activity against collagen and myofibrillar proteins below 40°C. Optimal activity occurs between 60-70°C. The optimal pH for activity is near 7 for collagen and myofibrillar proteins and approximately 5.0-5.5 for elastin