Biotechnological application prospects of latex proteases from Apocynaceae family

Plant latex proteases from different species find applications in diverse industries ranging from food to medicine. Family Apocynaceae consists of species producing large quantities of milky latex. Latex is known to be a rich source of proteolytic enzymes or proteases. Proteases, mainly of the cysteine and occasionally serine type, have been characterized from the latices of different species of Apocynaceae. Many of these proteases have also demonstrated stability under a wide range of parameters including temperature, pH and presence of metal ions. The current review is an attempt to elucidate on latex proteases belonging to Apocynaceae family, highlighting those properties that offer potential for their large-scale applications in different industrial sectors.