As of yet, a synthetic enzyme with the same qualities has not been marketed. Papain is a significant export item for Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. The greener the fruit the more active is the papain. This proteolytic enzyme is found in the latex and is very abundant in green, unripe fruits. The greener the fruit the more active the papain.
Papain is collected by making cuts on green, unripe papaya fruits.
A white liquid, the latex, which coagulates rapidly is drained from the cuts. The latex collecion is very pure, but tedious. The shelf-life of papain is relatively short. If stored under room temperature, papain will be usable from 3-9 months. During optimal storage, in the powdered form, OSHA classifies it as hygroscopic.