History And Medical Uses Of Papain
Papain is a protein-cleaving enzyme derived from papaya and certain other plants.
Enzymes are complex molecules produced in living organisms to catalyze (speed up) chemical
reactions within the cell. A number of digestive enzyme supplements are available. The
simple ones are extracted from tropical fruits: bromelain from pineapple and papain from
papayas. Papain has a mild, soothing effect on the stomach and aids in protein digestion.
It is most often used as a meat tenderizer.
Though the exact area of origin is unknown, the papaya is believed native to tropical
America, perhaps in southern Mexico and neighboring Central America. It is recorded that
seeds were taken to Panama and then the Dominican Republic before 1525 and cultivation
spread to warm elevations throughout South and Central America, southern Mexico, the West
Indies and Bahamas, and to Bermuda in 1616. Spaniards carried seeds to the Philippines
about 1550 and the papaya traveled from there to Malacca and India. Seeds were sent from
India to Naples in 1626. Now the papaya is familiar in nearly all tropical regions of the
Old World and the Pacific Islands and has become naturalized in many areas. Seeds were
probably brought to Florida from the Bahamas. Up to about 1959, the papaya was commonly
grown in southern and central Florida in home gardens and on a small commercial scale.
Thereafter, natural enemies seriously reduced the plantings.
The latex of the papaya plant and its green fruits contains two proteolytic enzymes,
papain and chymopapain. The latter is most abundant but papain is twice as potent. In 1933,
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was the leading commercial source of papain but it has been surpassed
by East Africa where large-scale production began in 1937.
The presence and effects of proteinases (now termed proteases) in papaya fruit (Carica
papaya) latex have been well known since the 1750s (Brocklehurst et al. 1983). But it was
not until the 1870's that the importance of papaya latex as a source of enzymes was
recognized.
Papain by far is the most widely studied of the cysteine enzymes
because of its commercial value. Besides being used as a meat
tenderizer other uses of papain include:
As we can see the uses for papain are diverse and thus it makes it an extremely valuable enzyme.
Papain has been employed to treat ulcers, dissolve membranes in diphtheria, and reduce
swelling, fever and adhesions after surgery. With considerable risk, it has been applied
on meat impacted in the gullet. Chemopapain is sometimes injected in cases of slipped
spinal discs or pinched nerves. Precautions should be taken because some individuals are
allergic to papain in any form and even to meat tenderized with papain.
In tropical folk medicine, the fresh latex is smeared on boils, warts and freckles and
given as a vermifuge. In India, it is applied on the uterus as an irritant to cause
abortion. The unripe fruit is sometimes hazardously ingested to achieve abortion. Seeds,
too, may bring on abortion. They are often taken as an emmenagogue and given as a
vermifuge. The root is ground to a paste with salt, diluted with water and given as an
enema to induce abortion. A root decoction is claimed to expel roundworms. Roots are also
used to make salt.
Crushed leaves wrapped around tough meat will tenderize it overnight. The leaf also
functions as a vermifuge and as a primitive soap substitute in laundering. Dried leaves
have been smoked to relieve asthma or as a tobacco substitute. Packages of dried,
pulverized leaves are sold by "health food" stores for making tea, despite the fact that
the leaf decoction is administered as a purgative for horses in Ghana and in the Ivory
Coast it is a treatment for genito-urinary ailments. The dried leaf infusion is taken for
stomach troubles in Ghana and they say it is purgative and may cause abortion.
Studies at the University of Nigeria have revealed that extracts of ripe and unripe
papaya fruits and of the seeds are active against gram-positive bacteria. Strong doses are
effective against gram-negative bacteria. The substance has protein-like properties. The
fresh crushed seeds yield the aglycone of glucotropaeolin benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC)
which is bacteriostatic, bactericidal and fungicidal. A single effective does is 4-5 g
seeds (25-30 mg BITC).
In a London hospital in 1977, a post-operative infection in a kidney-transplant patient
was cured by strips of papaya which were laid on the wound and left for 48 hours, after
all modern medications had failed.
Plant extracts with a high content of proteolytic enzymes have been
used for a long time in traditional medicine. Besides proteolytic
enzymes from plants, 'modern' enzyme therapy additionally includes
pancreatic enzymes. The therapeutic use of proteolytic enzymes is
partly based on scientific studies and is partly empirical. The aim of
the current review is to provide an overview of clinical trials of
systemic enzyme therapy in oncology, and to discuss the evidence for
their possible mechanisms of action. Clinical studies of the use of
proteolytic enzymes in oncology have mostly been carried out on an
enzyme preparation consisting of a combination of papain, trypsin and
chymotrypsin. This review of these studies showed that enzyme therapy
can reduce the adverse effects caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
There is also evidence that, in some types of tumours, survival may be
prolonged. The beneficial effect of systemic enzyme therapy seems to be
based on its anti-inflammatory potential. However, the precise
mechanism of action of systemic enzyme therapy remains unsolved. The
ratio of proteinases to antiproteinases, which is increasingly being
used as a prognostic marker in oncology, appears to be influenced by
the oral administration of proteolytic enzymes, probably via an
induction of the synthesis of antiproteinases. Furthermore, there are
numerous alterations of cytokine composition during therapy with orally
administered enzymes, which might be an indication of the efficacy of
enzyme therapy.
Papain is a protein-cleaving enzyme derived from papaya and certain other plants.
Enzymes are complex molecules produced in living organisms to catalyze (speed up) chemical
reactions within the cell. A number of digestive enzyme supplements are available. The
simple ones are extracted from tropical fruits: bromelain from pineapple and papain from
papayas. Papain has a mild, soothing effect on the stomach and aids in protein digestion.
It is most often used as a meat tenderizer.
Though the exact area of origin is unknown, the papaya is believed native to tropical
America, perhaps in southern Mexico and neighboring Central America. It is recorded that
seeds were taken to Panama and then the Dominican Republic before 1525 and cultivation
spread to warm elevations throughout South and Central America, southern Mexico, the West
Indies and Bahamas, and to Bermuda in 1616. Spaniards carried seeds to the Philippines
about 1550 and the papaya traveled from there to Malacca and India. Seeds were sent from
India to Naples in 1626. Now the papaya is familiar in nearly all tropical regions of the
Old World and the Pacific Islands and has become naturalized in many areas. Seeds were
probably brought to Florida from the Bahamas. Up to about 1959, the papaya was commonly
grown in southern and central Florida in home gardens and on a small commercial scale.
Thereafter, natural enemies seriously reduced the plantings.
The latex of the papaya plant and its green fruits contains two proteolytic enzymes,
papain and chymopapain. The latter is most abundant but papain is twice as potent. In 1933,
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was the leading commercial source of papain but it has been surpassed
by East Africa where large-scale production began in 1937.
The presence and effects of proteinases (now termed proteases) in papaya fruit (Carica
papaya) latex have been well known since the 1750s (Brocklehurst et al. 1983). But it was
not until the 1870's that the importance of papaya latex as a source of enzymes was
recognized.
Papain by far is the most widely studied of the cysteine enzymes
because of its commercial value. Besides being used as a meat
tenderizer other uses of papain include:
- defibrinating wounds in hospitals
- clotting milk
- shrink proofing of wool
- used in pet food to reduce viscosity and increase palatability
- prevents cornea scar deformation
- used in treatments of jellyfish and insect sings
- used to treat edemas, inflammatory processes, and in the acceleration of wound healing
- it is used as an ingredient in cleaning solutions for soft contact lenses
- in low doses in can be used to as an indigestion medicine.
As we can see the uses for papain are diverse and thus it makes it an extremely valuable enzyme.
Papain has been employed to treat ulcers, dissolve membranes in diphtheria, and reduce
swelling, fever and adhesions after surgery. With considerable risk, it has been applied
on meat impacted in the gullet. Chemopapain is sometimes injected in cases of slipped
spinal discs or pinched nerves. Precautions should be taken because some individuals are
allergic to papain in any form and even to meat tenderized with papain.
In tropical folk medicine, the fresh latex is smeared on boils, warts and freckles and
given as a vermifuge. In India, it is applied on the uterus as an irritant to cause
abortion. The unripe fruit is sometimes hazardously ingested to achieve abortion. Seeds,
too, may bring on abortion. They are often taken as an emmenagogue and given as a
vermifuge. The root is ground to a paste with salt, diluted with water and given as an
enema to induce abortion. A root decoction is claimed to expel roundworms. Roots are also
used to make salt.
Crushed leaves wrapped around tough meat will tenderize it overnight. The leaf also
functions as a vermifuge and as a primitive soap substitute in laundering. Dried leaves
have been smoked to relieve asthma or as a tobacco substitute. Packages of dried,
pulverized leaves are sold by "health food" stores for making tea, despite the fact that
the leaf decoction is administered as a purgative for horses in Ghana and in the Ivory
Coast it is a treatment for genito-urinary ailments. The dried leaf infusion is taken for
stomach troubles in Ghana and they say it is purgative and may cause abortion.
Studies at the University of Nigeria have revealed that extracts of ripe and unripe
papaya fruits and of the seeds are active against gram-positive bacteria. Strong doses are
effective against gram-negative bacteria. The substance has protein-like properties. The
fresh crushed seeds yield the aglycone of glucotropaeolin benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC)
which is bacteriostatic, bactericidal and fungicidal. A single effective does is 4-5 g
seeds (25-30 mg BITC).
In a London hospital in 1977, a post-operative infection in a kidney-transplant patient
was cured by strips of papaya which were laid on the wound and left for 48 hours, after
all modern medications had failed.
Plant extracts with a high content of proteolytic enzymes have been
used for a long time in traditional medicine. Besides proteolytic
enzymes from plants, 'modern' enzyme therapy additionally includes
pancreatic enzymes. The therapeutic use of proteolytic enzymes is
partly based on scientific studies and is partly empirical. The aim of
the current review is to provide an overview of clinical trials of
systemic enzyme therapy in oncology, and to discuss the evidence for
their possible mechanisms of action. Clinical studies of the use of
proteolytic enzymes in oncology have mostly been carried out on an
enzyme preparation consisting of a combination of papain, trypsin and
chymotrypsin. This review of these studies showed that enzyme therapy
can reduce the adverse effects caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
There is also evidence that, in some types of tumours, survival may be
prolonged. The beneficial effect of systemic enzyme therapy seems to be
based on its anti-inflammatory potential. However, the precise
mechanism of action of systemic enzyme therapy remains unsolved. The
ratio of proteinases to antiproteinases, which is increasingly being
used as a prognostic marker in oncology, appears to be influenced by
the oral administration of proteolytic enzymes, probably via an
induction of the synthesis of antiproteinases. Furthermore, there are
numerous alterations of cytokine composition during therapy with orally
administered enzymes, which might be an indication of the efficacy of
enzyme therapy.
- Frederick A. Senese. General Chemistry Online! Why is papain an effective meat tenderizer?
- Edgar A. Chavez. PAPAIN-PAPAYA PEPTIDASE I. The Claremont Colleges Joint Science Program
- Morton, J. 1987. Papaya. p. 336?346. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL.
- Leipner J, Saller R. Systemic enzyme therapy in oncology: effect and mode of action. Drugs 2000 Apr;59(4):769-80
No comments:
Post a Comment