Overview of Enzymes and Their Functions

Enzymes Overview

• Enzymes serve vital functions in various industries, including commercial, pharmaceutical, and medicinal applications.
• Proteolytic enzymes break down proteins and are sourced from animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria. They assist in digestion and reduce swelling and pain.

Proteolytic Enzymes Examples

• Pepsin:

  • Active in gastric juice; aids in digestion of proteins from meat, dairy, etc.
  • Derived from the stomach of pigs (Sus scrofa); activated by HCl.

• Alcalase:

  • An alkaline protease; used for producing protein hydrolysates.
  • Effective as a stain remover in laundry applications.

• Bromelain:

  • Extracted from pineapple juice; acts as a meat tenderizer.
  • Beneficial for reducing inflammation and promoting tissue repair.

• Papain:

  • Sourced from raw papaya fruit; functions as a meat tenderizer.
  • Aids in wound healing and skin renewal; used in beer stabilization.

• Chymopapain:

  • Extracted from green papaya; used in treatment for herniated discs.
  • Alleviates lower back pain by reducing intradiscal pressure.

• Trypsin:

  • Found in the small intestine; facilitates protein digestion.
  • Used for wound debridement; commonly sourced from livestock pancreas.

• Sutilains:

  • Derived from Bacillus subtilis; used in wound debridement.

• Rennin:

  • Present in animal stomachs; curdles milk for cheese production.

• Erepsin:

  • Present in intestinal juice; converts proteoses and peptones into amino acids.

• Streptokinase:

  • Purified from β-hemolytic streptococci; converts plasminogen to plasmin.
  • Used for treating blood clots and various thrombosis conditions.

• Urokinase:

  • Utilized for treating blood clots within the cardiovascular system.

Oxidizing Enzymes

• Enzymes that catalyze oxidation reactions, notably peroxidases and oxidases.

• Peroxidase:

  • Common in plants; breaks down hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and causes fruit discoloration.

• Thrombin (Coagulation Factor II):

  • Regulates blood coagulation; converts fibrinogen to fibrin for clot formation.

Carbohydrase/Amyloytic Enzymes

• Enzymes that convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, produced in the pancreas, salivary glands, and small intestine.

• Amylase:

  • Found in salivary glands; digests pre-cooked foods.

• Amylopsin:

  • Completes starch digestion started by salivary amylase.

• Invertase/Sucrase:

  • Found in yeast; hydrolyzes sucrose into glucose and fructose.

• Zymase:

  • Enzyme complex facilitating glycolysis; also used as pancrelipase drug.

• Cellulase:

  • Used in coffee liquid concentrate preparation.

• Hyaluronidase:

  • Breaks down hyaluronic acid; aids diffusion in subcutaneous infusions; essential in filler injection recovery.

Esterases

• Enzymes that hydrolyze ester groups from various substrates.

• Lipase:

  • Hydrolyzes fats into glycerin and fatty acids; important in cheese flavor production.

• Pectase:

  • Present in ripening fruits; converts pectin into a soluble form.

Other Notable Enzymes

• Collagenase:

  • Breaks down collagen; treats severe burns and skin ulcers.

• L-Asparaginase:

  • Used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia; decreases acrylamide in food.

• Lipoxygenase:

  • Used in bread production for flour whitening and dough handling improvement.

Current Applications of Enzymes

• Enzymes used in brewing, baking, and cheese production, evolving with new applications in various industries.
• Frequently added to detergents for stain removal, and used in laboratory and medical diagnostics.

Main Applications in Medicine

• Analytical Tests: Enzymes used for blood sugar monitoring and liver disease diagnosis.
• Therapeutic Use: Enzymes address deficiencies and are used to prevent blood clot formation in patients.