Pepsin (inci)

Pepsin (cooked/digested by gr. pepsis) is the most important digestive enzyme produced in the main cells of the stomach fundus of almost all vertebrates, an acidic endopeptidase, with a molecular mass of 36,000 Daltons.

Pepsin is a white to pale yellow crystalline or amorphous powder. Pepsin is highly soluble in water (the aqueous solution reacts slightly acidic) and sparingly soluble in ethanol (Ammonium HPT 2014). The products of this enzyme activity are peptides (molecular weight of 600-3000 Dalton) also called peptones. The largest peptone with a molecular weight of 3000 Dalton is an inhibitor of pepsin formation. Chemically, pepsin is a phosphoprotein with a length of 327 amino acids. Pepsin is only formed in the stomach under the influence of hydrochloric acid from its inactive precursor, the pepsinogen. The cleavage takes place without the action of another enzyme (autoproteolysis). Adults produce about 200mg of pepsinogen (ammonium HPT 2014) daily.

Cosmetics: Pepsin is used in cosmetic formulations. The substance acts as a skin care agent (keeps the skin in good condition) and as a hair conditioning agent (makes the hair easy to comb, smooth, soft and shiny and gives it volume).

The soft drink "Pepsi Cola" was named after its main ingredients "pepsin" and "colanut extract". The commercially available pepsin (DAB10 Eur, Helv VII) is extracted from the stomach mucosa of pigs, calves and sheep (v. Bruchhausen F. 1994).

1. Ammon HPT et al. (2014) Hunnius Pharmaceutical Dictionary 11th Edition Walter de Gruyter Berlin-New York S. 1356-1357
2. v. Bruchhausen F et al (1994) Hager's Handbook of Pharmaceutical Practice. Substances P-Z. Springer Publishing House Berlin-Heidelberg New York S.81-83
3. Nevaldine B et al (1971) Pepsine. Biochim Biophys Acta 250: 207-209