Digestion of Articular Cartilage by Papin in vitro ∗

Abstract

Summary

The digestion in vitro of diced fragments of bovine cartilage by a 0.1% solution of papain was investigated over a 2-hour period. At half-hour intervals, measurements were made of the gravimetric loss of cartilage, and of the amount of cartilage nitrogen, hexosamine, and hydroxyproline present in the supernatant solution. From these determinations, the quantities of chon-droitin sulfate, collagen and non-collagen protein released from the cartilage were calculated and their total compared with the weight loss of cartilage. During the first hour, the cartilage lost 88% of the chondroitin sulfate and 63% of the non-collagen protein. After 2 hours, more than 90% of each of these components were found in the supernatant solution. Collagen breakdown proceeded at the rate of about 9% per half-hour. Gravimetric loss measured 56% of the dry weight of the cartilage at the end of 2 hours.