Protease

Protease refers to a group of enzymes whose catalytic function is to hydrolyze (breakdown) peptide bonds of proteins. They are also called proteolytic enzymes or proteinases. Proteases vary in their ability to hydrolyze various peptide bonds. Each type of protease has a specific kind of peptide bonds it breaks. Examples of proteases include fungal protease, pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, papain, bromelain and subtilisin.

Proteolytic enzymes are very important in digestion as they breakdown the protein foods to liberate the amino acids needed by the body. Additionally proteolytic enzymes have been used for a long time in various forms of therapy. Their use in medicine is gaining more and more attention as several clinical studies are indicating their benefits in oncology, inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, blood rheology control and immune regulation.

Commercially proteases are produced in highly controlled aseptic conditions for food supplementation and systemic enzyme therapy. We us the organisms Aspergillus niger and oryzae.