EXTRACTION AND PURIFICATION OF PAPAIN ENZYME FROM PAPAYA LEAF AND THE PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPONENTS OF THE LEAF

Abstract

Papain is a proteolytic enzyme present in papaya that breaks down proteins and has a number of food processing applications. The objective of this study was to extract papain enzyme by using grinding and ultrasonication extraction techniques and determination of the phytochemical components of the leaf. The fresh papaya leaf was collected from locally grown papaya plant. Purification of the extracted papain was done by using ammonium sulfate and sodium chloride precipitation. The concentration of the enzyme was then determined. Papain enzyme was identified by using casein protein. The prolytic activity of the enzyme was also determined according to the procedure of Bradford method with slight modification. The concentration of extract papain was from 0.054 - 0.002 mg/ml. The maximum mean value was shown by the grinded sample and the minimum mean concentration was 0.002 mg/ml obtained from the sonicated sample within a temperature of 50 o C for 20min. The maximum mean absorbance for enzyme activity was shown by sonicated sample at 1h by 60 o C and the minimum mean absorbance was from the sonicated sample within temperature of 50 o C for 20min. Inrelative comparison proteins and alkaloids are the most abundant component of papaya leaf. Papaya leaves contain papain enzyme, and the different methods of isolation, concentration and application of the enzyme needs further study.