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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999  > May  >
Chemistry Everyday for Everyone
JCE Classroom Activity
Soup or Salad? Investigating the Action of Enzymes in Fruit on Gelatin
Erica Jacobsen
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Chemistry, Madison, WI 53706
Cover
May 1999
Vol. 76 No. 5
p. 624A
Abstract
Most enzymes are proteins that have evolved to function as catalysts for chemical reactions in living systems. Some fruits contain proteases, a group of enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of peptide linkages in proteins. This can have an undesired effect in a gelatin salad containing fruit, because proteases in the fruit can cleave the proteins that make up the structure of gelatin so that it will not set. This is the reason for the warning on many gelatin packages "Do not use with fresh or frozen pineapple." Other fruits may also be included in the warning. Fresh pinepple, papaya, kiwi, and figs contain the proteases bromelain, papain, actinidin, and ficin, respectively. When the enzymes are denatured, which can result from heating during the canning process, they lose their ability to cleave proteins.
Supplement
The activity sheet is available as a pdf file, which can be accessed using Acrobat Reader.
*  Contents
*  Download supp624A.pdf
More Information
*  Citation
 Jacobsen, Erica. J. Chem. Educ. 1999 76 624A.
*  Keywords
 Introductory / High School Chemistry; Teaching / Learning Aids; Enzymes; Classroom Activity
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 June 11, 1999
June 23, 2005
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