Ficin is a proteolytic enzyme obtained from the latex of the fig (Ficus carica); as such, it has the ability to hydrolyze the peptide bonds of proteins, especially in an acidic environment.
From the molecular point of view, ficin is a cysteine protease (due to the presence of the amino acid cysteine in the active site), like the papain of the papaya, the bromelain of the pineapple stem and the human caspases (involved in apoptotic phenomena).Ficin is mainly used:
- in phytotherapy, for topical applications on warts and more generally for operations of peeling;
- in the food industry, as a coagulant enzyme (useful in the production of cheese);
- in medicine, for its ability to reduce the negative electrostatic potential of red blood cells, which prevents agglutination in the presence of incomplete antibodies.