Papain

A protein-digesting enzymeoccurring in the fruit of the West Indianpapaya tree (Carica papaya). It isused as a digestant and in the manufactureof meat tenderizers.

Papain is a papaya enzyme able to dissolve keratin. Papain is used in face masks and peeling lotions as a very gentle exfoliant. It can be irritating to the skin but less so than bromelin, a similar enzyme found in pineapples and also used in cosmetics. It is considered a non-comedogenic raw material.

Papain is a tenderizer that is a protein-digesting enzyme obtained from the papaya fruit. the enzyme, used in a patented process, is injected into the circulatory system of the live animal and is activated by the heat of cooking to break down the protein, thus tenderizing the beef. the enzyme is inactivated by stomach acids.