Biocatalytic properties of lipase in crude latex from babaco fruit (Caricapentagona)

Biocatalytic activities in proteolysis, lipolysis and interesterification r eactions were studied for crude latex from the subtropical plant Carica pen tagona. The results reveal that crude Carica pentagona latex exhibits equiv alent proteolytic activities (5.73 units mg(-1)) and lipolytic activities ( 1.01 units mg(-1)) compared to the well-known Carica papaya, the commercial ly source for papain (4.57 units mg(-1) and 0.90 units mg(-1) respectively) . Therefore, in interesterification reactions, Carica pentagona latex shows interesting lipase properties (0.77 units mg(-1)) higher than commercial C arica papaya latex (0.28 units mg(-1)).