papain
/pə'peiin/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A proteolytic enzyme: A substance that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides or amino acids.
- Obtained from the unripe papaya: This enzyme is naturally found in the latex of the unripe fruit of the papaya plant (Carica papaya).
- Used as a meat tenderizer: Its primary commercial and culinary application is to soften the fibers in meat, making it more tender.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The recipe calls for a marinade containing papain to soften the tough cut of beef.
- Papain is often an ingredient in natural digestive supplements.
- The extraction of papain from papaya latex is an important industry in some tropical countries.
Advanced Usage
- "Papain-based": Describing a product or solution that uses papain as its active component.
- The wound debridement gel is papain-based.
- In scientific contexts: Papain is frequently used in biochemistry and molecular biology for protein digestion and analysis.
- The protein sample was digested with papain before analysis.
Variants and Related Words
- Papaya (n): The tropical fruit from which papain is derived.
- Protease (n): A general term for any enzyme that breaks down proteins; papain is a type of protease.
- Chymopapain (n): Another proteolytic enzyme obtained from papaya latex, closely related to papain.
Synonyms
- Proteolytic enzyme: A more general scientific synonym.
- Proteinase: Another term for a protease.
- Meat tenderizer: Describes its common functional use, though this can refer to other enzymes or chemicals as well.
Related Phrases
- Papain activity: Refers to the enzymatic strength or effectiveness of a papain preparation.
- The papain activity of the extract was measured in units.
- Papain inhibition: The process or state of stopping or reducing the enzyme's function.
- The study focused on papain inhibition by specific compounds.
Noun
- a proteolytic enzyme obtained from the unripe papaya; used as a meat tenderizer