Enzymes are protentious substances that catalyze or increase the rate of chemical reactions in a living organism. It acts as a catalyst for specific reactions and converts the specific substrate into a specific product. The biological processes that occur within all living organisms are chemical reactions, and most are regulated by enzymes. Without enzymes, many of these reactions would not take place. They are practically inactive at 0°C and beyond 65°C get denatured. Crude drugs which contain enzymes are Papaya, Diastase, Yeast. Factor like pH of the medium direct affects their action.

1. ENZYMES
Prepared by:
Ms. Shivanee Vyas
Assistant Professor
SVKM’s NMIMS, School of Pharmacy and Technology Management

2. Enzymes
• Enzymes are protentious substance that catalyze or increase the rate of chemical reactions in
a living organism.
• It act as a catalyst for specific reactions and convert specific substrate into specific product.
• The biological processes that occur within all living organisms are chemical reactions, and
most are regulated by enzymes.
• Without enzymes, many of these reactions would not take place.
• They are practically inactive at 0°C and beyond 65°C get denatured.
• Crude drugs which contains enzymes are: Papaya, Diastase, Yeast.
• The factor like pH of the medium direct affect on their action.

3. PAPAYA
• Papain is an enzyme found in and extracted from papaya. It is a powerful digestive
enzyme, thus it is important in digestive processes, involving the breakdown of tough
protein fiber.
• Synonyms: Papayotin, vegetable pepsin, tromasin, arbuz, caroid,
• Biological Source: Papain is the dried and purified latex of the green fruits and leaves of
Carica papaya Linn.
• Family: Caricaceae.
• Geographical source: The plant is cultivated in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Hawai, and Florida.

4. • Morphological characters:
1. It is white or greyish white coloured powder.
2. It is slightly hygroscopic in nature.
3. It is partially soluble in water and glycerol.
4. It is a protein made-up of 212 amino acid and has molecular weight is about 23,000 Dalton.
5. It is resistant to heat.
6. In crystalline form, it is most stable in pH 5-7 and gets destroyed at 30°C and below pH 2.5 and above
pH 12.
• Chemical Constituents: Papain contains several enzymes such as proteolytic enzymes peptidase. It
capable of converting proteins into dipeptides and polypeptides, rennin-like enzyme, clotting enzyme.
The enzymes, papain, papayaproteinase, and chymopapain, have been isolated in crystalline form from
the latex. It contains 15.5% nitrogen and 1.2% Sulphur. The leaves possess dehydrocarpaines I and II,
fatty acids, carpaine, pseudocarpaine, and carotenoids. The fruits yield lauric, myristoleic, palmitoleic
and arachidic acids, 2-phenyl ethyl glucoside, and 4-hydroxy-phenyl-2-ethyl glucoside.

5. • Chemical test:
1. It decolorizes aqueous potassium permanganate solution.
2. It causes curdling of milk. (Proteolytic activity)
• Uses:
1. It is used to treat infected wounds act as an anthelmintic and anti-inflammatory agent.
2. It is used in the treatment of intestinal and gastric disorders.
3. It is used in surgery for reducing blood clots and for local treatment of buccal and pharyngeal
disorders.
4. It is used as an additives in digestive mixture and liver tonic.
5. Its reduces the enlarged tonsils.

6. DIASTASE
• Diastase is an enzyme found in malt and produced when the seed germinate. The enzyme
convert starch into maltose and then into glucose. Diastase occurs as a yellowish white,
amorphous powder.
• Synonym: Diastase, malt extract.
• Biological Source: Malt extract is the extract obtained from the dried barley grains of one or
more varieties of Hordeum vulgare Linn.
• Family: Poaceae.
• Geographical Source: Barley is widely cultivated throughout the world. The major producers are
United States, Russia, Canada, India, and Turkey. It is also cultivated in highlands of China and
Tibet.

7. • Morphological characters:
1. Diastase is thermolabile and sensitive to more than 45°C.
2. It shows activity between 35-40°C .
3. The acidic conditions destroy the activity. It converts starch into disaccharide maltose.
4. It is completely soluble in cold water, more readily in warm water. The aqueous solution shows
flocculent precipitate on standing.
• Chemical Constituents: Malt extract contains dextrin, maltose, traces of glucose and about 8% of
amylolytic enzyme diastase.
• Uses:
1. Malt extract and purified diastase, both are used as amylolytic enzymes and as an aid in digesting
starch.
2. They are used as bulk producing laxatives.

8. YEAST
• Yeast is a fungus which has a vegetative body of simple individual cell under normal growth
conditions. Around 350 species of yeast are known so far yeast are classified based on their uses and
morphological characters.
• Synonyms: Brewer’s yeast and Bakers yeast.
• Biological source: Yeast is the unicellular fungal microorganism Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Family: Saccharomycetaceae.
• Geographical source: Yeast grows naturally in food items, juice, bread, and several fermented
products.

9. • Morphological characters:
 Colour: yellowish white
 Odour: Characteristic
 Size: Unicellular microorganism measuring less than 1.5µ.
• Chemical constituent: Yeast contains moisture (65-80%), nitrogenous compound (Protein), glycogen, fat,
vitamins (Thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, folic acid, biotin etc.), ash and enzymes (invertase, zymase,
and maltase).
• Uses:
1. It is used for the manufacturing of alcohol, beer and various wines.
2. It is used in bread industries to raise dough.
3. It is used as a source of vitamin D.
4. It is a good source of protein.