Fourier Transform IR Spectroscopic Study of Gamma-Irradiated Papain

In papain macromolecules irradiated with γ-rays, fragments with terminal primary amino groups were formed, and they appeared in the Fourier transform IR spectra as a broad peak with a maximum at 3440 cm–1 and an intense absorption band centered at 1706 cm–1 due to stretching vibrations of carbonyl groups. The intensity of the absorption bands of radiolysis products increased linearly with the irradiation dose of papain. Along with this, a noticeable weakening of the intensity of the absorption peaks of the peptide bond with radiation dose was observed to indicate radiation-induced degradation of the main chain of papain.