Investigation of crude latex from various Carica papaya varieties for lipid bioconversions

The protein contents in crude latices from various varieties of papaya (Car ica papaya) and their catalytic activities in proteolysis, lipolysis, and i nteresterification reactions were studied with regard to the variety, the g eographic location of cultures, and the frequency of fruit tapping. Biocata lytic activities of these raw materials were compared to several commercial ly available crude and purified preparations of papain. These investigation s were carried out in order to have a better physicochemical characterizati on of these raw materials, to select the adequate papaya latex for protein or lipid bioconversions, and to valorize them on an industrial scale. For t he purified preparations of papain, only proteolytic activity was obtained. All crude papaya latices exhibit proteolytic, lipolytic, and interesterifi cation activities, and no relationship between the proteolytic and lipolyti c activities was observed. The high multiple correlation coefficient (R) on the order of R = 0.93-0.99, obtained from the regression analysis for the lipolytic and interesterification activities for all crude papaya latices i nvestigated suggested that there was a correlation between these enzyme act ivities. However, for the same lipase preparation, the interesterification activity differed substantially depending on the type of interesterificatio n reaction.