PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE PROTEINS ISOLATED FROM JACARATIA DODECAPHYLLA (VELL.)

Jacaratia dodecaphylla is a Caricaceae found in the Parana subtropical forest. It is used in popular medicine as a soft painless laxative. The fruits that contain latex are only edible when very ripe. A proteolytic enzyme has been isolated from the pulp of the fruit. The enzyme shows a peak of activity in alkaline conditions and at temperatures of 50°C and higher. It has been characterized as a cysteinil proteinase. Its activity strongly decreases in presence of small amounts of Cu⁺⁺ and Ni⁺⁺, while saline concentrations as high as 400 mM do not affect the activity.