Papain is a purely natural enzymatic product obtained through bioengineering from the unripe fruits of the papaya plant. It consists of 212 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 21,000. As a cysteine‑containing endopeptidase, it cleaves the carboxyl‑terminal bonds of arginine and lysine residues in proteins and peptides, exhibiting both proteolytic and esterolytic activities with broad substrate specificity. Papain demonstrates strong hydrolytic capabilities toward animal and plant proteins, peptides, esters, amides, and other substrates, while also possessing synthetic activity—capable of reassembling protein hydrolysates into protein‑like compounds. This unique property can be leveraged to enhance the nutritional value or functional characteristics of animal and plant proteins.

Product Features

• By leveraging advanced bioengineering, membrane separation, and vacuum freeze-drying technologies, and by successfully developing a proprietary enzyme‑protection process, we have minimized enzyme activity loss during processing. The resulting papain exhibits an enzymatic activity exceeding 3.5 million units per gram, surpassing the highest levels reported internationally.
• Manufactured in accordance with United States Pharmacopeia standards and current Chinese national standards, and subject to the requirements of international quality‑certification systems, we have established a rigorous quality‑control system that strictly monitors microbial contamination, ensuring compliance with national sanitary standards for exported food.
• This approach achieves efficient separation of papain using ultrafiltration technology, enabling the extraction of papain at ambient temperature with a recovery rate exceeding 90%, thereby enhancing enzyme recovery and reducing costs.

Application areas

• Food industry
  By harnessing the enzymatic activity of papain, large‑molecule proteins in food can be hydrolyzed into small peptides or amino acids that are readily absorbed. This process is widely applicable to the enzymatic hydrolysis of animal and plant proteins—such as those from chicken, pork, beef, seafood, blood products, soybeans, and peanuts—as well as to meat tenderizers, wine clarifiers, biscuit softeners, noodle stabilizers, health foods, soy sauce production, and fermentation agents for alcoholic beverages. It not only enhances the nutritional value of foods but also helps reduce production costs.
• Biscuit industry
  It reduces dough stickiness, enhances dough plasticity and physicochemical properties, and simultaneously hydrolyzes protein macromolecules into short peptides and amino acids, thereby promoting complex Maillard reactions between carbohydrates and amino groups. This results in rapid browning, an appealing color with a lustrous, oily sheen, increased volume and crispness, a well‑defined reticulated structure in the cross‑section, and excellent layering. It also lowers the incidence of cracked and broken biscuits, yielding uniformly shaped, plump products that resist shrinking, with clear patterns and a smooth surface. Moreover, it allows for a corresponding reduction of sodium metabisulfite by 10%–25%, thus decreasing residual levels of SO₂ and other harmful substances, while mitigating the adverse effects of chemical additives on biscuit flavor and effectively improving overall product quality.
• Pharmaceutical industry
  Medicinal products containing papain, such as papaya throat lozenges, papaya enteric‑coated tablets (capsules), and papaya pastilles, exhibit anti‑inflammatory, choleretic, analgesic, and digestive‑aiding effects, while also enhancing immune function. Further research has shown that they can also be used for detecting red blood cell surface antigens and determining blood types, as well as for treating gynecological conditions, glaucoma, and insect bites. Based on enzyme activity, 100–500 grams of papain should be added per ton of feed.
• Textile industry
  Shrink resistance of wool: Wool treated with papain exhibits higher tensile strength than that treated by conventional methods, resulting in a softer hand feel, enhanced comfort, and improved resistance to shrinkage. Its tensile strength remains unchanged, with a shrinkage rate of zero. It can also be used for degumming silkworm cocoons and refining silk fibers.
• Leather industry
  A hair-removal agent for leather is prepared using papain; the resulting tanned leather exhibits fine, lustrous pores.
• Feed industry
  It breaks down dietary protein into amino acids, increasing the release of nutrients and enhancing poultry’s absorption and utilization of eggs. At the same time, it compensates for insufficient endogenous enzymes in animals, improving feed efficiency, reducing feed costs, and stimulating appetite, thereby promoting growth, increasing average daily gain and survival rates. It can also be used as an additive in high‑grade compound fertilizers for vegetables and fruits.
• Daily chemical industry
  It is used in soaps, detergents, laundry powders, hand sanitizers, and more. When fabrics are stained with blood, milk, fruit juice, soy sauce, grease, or other stubborn residues, ordinary detergents often struggle to remove these stains. Adding protease to the detergent formulation makes it easier to eliminate sweat and blood stains, delivering powerful cleaning performance while providing effective antibacterial and disinfecting benefits—safe and reliable for everyday use.
• Cosmetics industry
  Papain acts on the aged stratum corneum of human skin, promoting its breakdown and shedding to achieve a skin‑softening effect and stimulate cellular growth. Moreover, papain hydrolysates form an amino acid‑derived film on the skin’s surface, helping to maintain moisture and smoothness. Papain readily complexes with copper ions in melanin—the pigment responsible for dark spots—thereby reducing melanin production and lightening existing pigmentation. Additionally, the tripeptides generated by papain hydrolysis can directly inhibit tyrosinase activity, the enzyme involved in melanin synthesis, and neutralize free radicals, thus delivering whitening and spot‑removing benefits.
• Other industries
  In addition, it can be formulated with toothpaste, mouthwash, tooth powder, and other agents to clean the oral cavity, remove dental plaque and calculus, and, when combined with other solvents, can be used to produce cleaning and disinfecting solutions for contact lenses as well as for recovering silver from photographic films.

Vitality

Enzyme activity is defined as follows: using the ultraviolet spectrophotometric method, under assay conditions of 37 ± 0.2°C and pH 7.0, one enzyme activity unit is the amount of enzyme required to hydrolyze casein at a rate that produces trichloroacetic acid‑soluble material whose absorbance at 275 nm is equivalent to that of 1 µg of tyrosine, expressed in units per gram (u/g).

Product Specifications

The product complies with the National Food Safety Standard. GB 2760-2014, the Standard for the Use of Food Additives, and GB 1886.174-2016, the Standard for Enzyme Preparations Used in the Food Industry, are applicable. Additionally, papain with various enzyme activity units can be supplied according to customer requirements.

(We can also provide papain products with enzyme activity units of TU/mg, USP unit/mg, IU/mg, or MU/mg, according to customer requirements.)

Terms of Use

• Effective pH range: 3.5–9; optimal pH: 5–7.
• Operating temperature range: 20–80°C; optimal temperature: 55–60°C.
• Addition level: 2–3‰
• The optimal enzyme dosage must be determined on a case-by-case basis according to specific production conditions. For further details, please contact us by letter or phone.

Storage

• Storage temperature: Room temperature; it is recommended to store in a cool, dry place away from light. Refrigeration further enhances enzyme activity preservation.
• Prolonged storage or unfavorable storage conditions can lead to a reduction in enzyme activity to varying degrees; if temperature and humidity are excessively high, the dosage should be appropriately increased during use.

Safety

• Papain is a purely natural enzyme preparation; it is a protein. Consuming foods containing enzyme preparations is akin to eating protein-rich foods—beneficial and harmless to the human body.
• For certain sensitive individuals, direct ingestion of highly concentrated enzyme powder or exposure to aerosolized droplets may trigger allergic reactions, and prolonged contact may irritate the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. During handling, it is recommended to wear protective equipment such as masks and eye shields. Any leftover or spilled enzyme powder should be promptly disposed of; for large spills, gently sweep the powder back into its container, while small amounts can be vacuumed up or cleaned by wetting with water.
• Papain is a bioactive substance that is readily inhibited and inactivated by heavy metal ions (such as Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺, etc.) and oxidizing agents; therefore, contact with these substances should be avoided during storage or use.

Packaging

• Powder form: Aluminum-plastic pouch packaging, 1 kg × 10 pouches/carton; 1 kg × 20 pouches/carton.
• Liquid type: 20 kg/drum