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Zingibain

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EC number
  
3.4.22.67

IntEnz
  
IntEnz view

ExPASy
  
NiceZyme view

CAS number
  
246044-91-7

BRENDA
  
BRENDA entry

KEGG
  
KEGG entry

Zingibain, zingipain, or ginger protease (EC 3.4.22.67) is a cysteine protease enzyme found in ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizomes. It catalyses the preferential cleavage of peptides with a proline residue at the P2 position. It has two distinct forms, ginger protease I (GP-I) and ginger protease II (GP-II).

Uses

Zingipain curdles milk, and has been suggested as a vegetable rennet for cheese production. It is also used to make the Cantonese dish ginger milk curd.

Like papain from papayas and bromelain from pineapples, it is used as a meat tenderizer. However, extracted zingibain is unstable, with a half-life of about 2 days at 5°C, making it problematic for commercial applications.

References

Zingibain Wikipedia