Papain solution

Papain is a plant-based, sustainable alternative to trypsin. This proteolytic enzyme is extracted from unripe papaya and is used for the gentle and effective separation of cell-cell or cell-matrix connections in adherent cells. Our ready-to-use papain solution (61.25 mg/l) is free of calcium and magnesium ions (the absence of divalent cations increases enzymatic efficiency in cell detachment or tissue digestion) and is extra stable (stable for 24 months).

Gentle & effective cell detachment
Sustainable - Plant-based alternative to trypsin
Extra stable - 24 months at -20°C
Without Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺
Without phenol red

Comparison: Papain vs. Trypsin

• More sustainable: Papain is derived from unripe papaya, whereas trypsin is derived from the pancreas of cattle or pigs.
• More specific action of papain: Papain has proteolytic activity and detaches cells more gently and in a more controlled manner than trypsin. This reduces aggressive damage to the cell surface.
• Better cell surface integrity: Papain carries a low risk of destroying surface proteins such as binding receptors (e.g., integrins). Furthermore, important proteins involved in cell adhesion are preserved after detachment.
• High cell viability: Gentle papain-based cell detachment often results in higher cell viability after detachment.
• Controllable exposure and neutralization: With papain, longer but more controllable incubation times are frequently used. After inactivation, a mild residual activity remains, requiring less aggressive post-treatment.
• Better downstream results: For subsequent experiments on surface receptors to study intracellular signaling pathways, gentle papain-based cell detachment is more suitable because it does not damage receptors. Cell-based downstream analyses and proteomic analyses also yield better results with papain treatment.
• Simpler handling: The activity of trypsin is temperature- and buffer-dependent. In contrast, papain is more robust against moderate temperature changes and can be used flexibly.