Papain

Papain, or papayotin, is a digestive enzyme obtained from the milky juice of the plant Carica papaya L., cultivated in tropical countries. Papain is an amorphous white, almost odorless powder with a slightly abrasive taste, forming a highly foaming liquid in aqueous solution. Papain was proposed as a substitute for pancreatin and pepsin in digestive disorders and as an anthelmintic. Attempts were also made to apply papain to diphtheria membranes with the expectation of its protein-dissolving action. Papain solution was also injected into tumors and abscesses with the aim of digesting neoplasms. The dosage for internal use is 0.1-0.5-1.0, and externally as a 5% aqueous solution. When injected under the skin, it is poisonous. At present, it is rarely used due to the lack of scientifically developed indications for its application.