John,
but you left out the last botanical fun fact that makes it stick in your mind:
papain = papaya = Adolf's Meat Tenderizer
bromelain = Bromeliads = pineapple family (includes orchids)
thanks, I finally got to use info from an Ethnobotany course taken 25 years ago.
Paul
-- ____________________________________ Paul Morrison JFB216 paul_morrison@dfci.harvard.edu Molecular Biology Core Facilities Dana-Farber Cancer Institute http://mbcf.dfci.harvard.edu 44 Binney Street 617-632-3082 Boston, MA 02115 fax 632-4814 ____________________________________John Hempel <hempel@psc.edu> wrote: >Susie- > All that Andy noted is valid. One other thing that might help to further >allay any worries about papain is to consider that it is a member of the >thiol protease family like bromelain, which is found in pineapples. This >is why you can't get Jello to gel when mixed with uncooked pineapple - the >bromelain cleaves the gelatin chains needed for gelling. But, people eat >raw pineapple all the time without any ill effects. > >Hope that helps, >Cheers, >JH >John Hempel, PhD Ph (412) 624 0161 >University of Pittsburgh FAX (412) 624 4759 >Department of Biological Sciences >Clapp Hall 301 >Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA > >email: hempel@psc.edu >http://www.pitt.edu/~biology/faculty/hempel.html > >At 10:49 AM 4/5/00 EDT, POLYLC@aol.com wrote: >>Hi, Susie - >> >>Papain is a protein; specifically, an enzyme. There are many different >types >>of enzymes. The category that papain is in are enzymes that digest other >>proteins; they cut them up into smaller proteins that are easier to digest. >>Your own body makes its own enzymes of this sort to help in digestion >>(trypsin is one such example). Such enzymes are also used to tenderize >meat. >> The temperatures used to cook meat will permanently inactivate enzymes such >>as papain; it's as irreversible as the scrambling of an egg. At that point >>it becomes just another protein to be digested. >> >>If you ate the steak raw - as in steak tartare - then the papain would still >>be active. It might then have some transient irritating effect on your >upper >>digestive tract, as would any other meat tenderizer. >> >>Incidentally, papain is obtained from the latex of green papayas. Digestive >>enzymes of this sort are found in many plant and animal sources; we all have >>to metabolize proteins! >> >>Best regards, >> >>Andy Alpert >>PolyLC Inc. >>Columbia, MD >> (410) 992-5400 >>********************************************* >><< Subj: Hi! Question... >> Date: 04/04/2000 6:29:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time >> From: corysuz@scc.net (Susie Shubert) >> Sender: abrf-request@aecom.yu.edu (Association of Biomolecular Resource >>Facilities) >> Reply-to: corysuz@scc.net >> To: abrf@aecom.yu.edu (Recipients of ABRF List) >> >> Hi! >> >> I hope this is not bothering you...but I came across a question someone >> had asked you regarding Papain through the Ask Jeeves site, and it's >> obvious you know something about it. I buy some frozen steaks in which >> the packaging says to have a certain amount of Papain in them, for >> tenderizing, I assume. I'm wondering if this is something that is >> harmful, or something that could become harmful down the road, if >> ingesting large amounts? >> >> Thank you so much for your time. >> >> Sincerely, >> >> Susie Shubert >> suz@pixelagogo.com >> >> >> >>
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