what is pepsin used for
Pepsin is commonly used in the preparation of F(ab')2 fragments from antibodies. In some assays it is preferable to use only the antigen binding (Fab) portion of the antibody. For these applications, antibodies may be enzymatically digested to produce either an Fab or an F(ab')2 fragment of the antibody.
Pepsin has been used as a substitute for rennin in the production of certain cheeses. Treatment of hides. Pepsin is used by the leather industry to remove undesirable traces of remaining tissue, such as hair and fat, from partially processed hides. This enzymatic treatment is called âbatingâ the hides.
Pepsin splits proteins into water-soluble fragments called peptones. Although this ordinarily occurs in the stomach, it can be duplicated in a large reaction vessel on a commercial basis. Partial digestion by pepsin can be used in food applicationsâfor instance, in the processing of soy protein and gelatin.