Inhibition of trypsins and chymotrypsins from different animal species: a comparative study

The effect of 3 purified trypsin inhibitors and 4 legume seed extracts on teh trypsins and chymotrypsins of the activated pancreata of 11 animal species, including man, was measured. The activation was performed by either homologous enterokinase or by bovine trypsin. Several trypsinogens were not activated by the latter. Rabbit trypsin was the most sensitive to all inhibitor preparations, while the human trypsin was the most resistant, except to the black bean extract. The response of the chymotrypsins was more variable and those of capybara and rabbit showed extreme sensitivity. Considerable differences between the extracts of black and white garden beans, both Phaseolus vulgaris, with respect to their reactivity toward different animal enzymes were detected. No relation between relative pancreas weight and susceptibility toward soybean trypsin inhibitor could be observed.