Bromelain
Bromelain is an
The term "bromelain" may refer to either of two protease enzymes extracted from the plants of the family Bromeliaceae, or it may refer to a combination of those enzymes along with other compounds produced in an extract.
Although tested in a variety of
Extract components
| Stem bromelain | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | |||||||||
ExPASy | NiceZyme view | ||||||||
| KEGG | KEGG entry | ||||||||
| MetaCyc | metabolic pathway | ||||||||
| PRIAM | profile | ||||||||
| PDB structures | RCSB PDB PDBe PDBsum | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Fruit bromelain | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | |||||||||
ExPASy | NiceZyme view | ||||||||
| KEGG | KEGG entry | ||||||||
| MetaCyc | metabolic pathway | ||||||||
| PRIAM | profile | ||||||||
| PDB structures | RCSB PDB PDBe PDBsum | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Bromelain extract is a mixture of protein-digesting (proteolytic) enzymes and several other substances in smaller quantities. The proteolytic enzymes are
is required for function. The two main enzymes are:History
Pineapples have a long tradition as a medicinal plant among the natives of South and Central America. The first isolation of bromelain was recorded by the Venezuelan chemist Vicente Marcano in 1891 by fermenting the fruit of pineapple.[2] In 1892, Russell Henry Chittenden, assisted by Elliott P. Joslin and Frank Sherman Meara, investigated the matter more completely,[3] and called it 'bromelin'. Later, the term 'bromelain' was introduced and originally applied to any protease from any member of the plant family Bromeliaceae.
Sources
Bromelain is present in all parts of the pineapple plant (Ananas sp.),[4] but the stem is the most common commercial source,[4][5] presumably because usable quantities are readily extractable after the fruit has been harvested.[4]
Production
Produced mainly in parts of the world where pineapples are grown, such as
Temperature stability
After an hour at 50 °C (122 °F), 83% of the enzyme remains, while at 40 °C (104 °F), practically 100% remains.[6] The proteolytic activity of concentrated bromelain solutions remains relatively stable for at least 1 week at room temperature, and multiple freeze-thaw cycles or exposure to the digestive enzyme trypsin have little effect on it.[7]
Uses
Meat tenderizing and other uses
Along with
Cooked or canned pineapple does not have a tenderizing effect, as the enzymes are heat-labile and denatured in the cooking process. Some prepared meat products, such as meatballs and commercially available marinades, include pineapple and/or pineapple-derived ingredients.[4]
Although the quantity of bromelain in a typical serving of pineapple fruit is probably not significant, specific
Potential medical uses
A concentrate of proteolytic enzymes enriched in bromelain is approved in Europe for the
Bromelain has not been scientifically proven to be effective in treating any other diseases and it has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of any disorder. In the United States, the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA, 1994) allows the sale of bromelain-containing dietary supplements even though efficacy has not been confirmed.
While there have been studies which positively correlated the use of bromelain with reduction of symptom severity in osteoarthritis,[9][10] "[t]he majority of the studies have methodological issues that make it difficult to draw definite conclusions", as none definitively established efficacy, recommended dosage, long term safety, or adverse interaction with other medications.[11][12]
Systemic enzyme therapy (consisting of combinations of proteolytic enzymes such as bromelain, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and papain) has been investigated in Europe to evaluate the efficacy in breast, colorectal, and plasmacytoma cancer patients.[13]
Bromelain may be effective as an
Bromelain is also claimed as a tooth plaque removal enhancer in toothpastes.[15]
See also
- Phytochemicals
- Papain
References
- ^ a b "European Public Assessment Report: NexoBrid, concentrate of proteolytic enzymes enriched in bromelain" (PDF). European Medicines Agency. December 2012.
- ^ "Vicente Marcano (in Spanish) Quote from Google translate: "New theory about the phenomenon of fermentation": "See also the bromeliad (for Annana Bromelia L.) pineapple, which is responsible for many phenomena of fermentation of the fruit. This finding, while not making Marcano, was actually made by him, as later confirmed by Dr. RH Chittenden, of Yale University, who argues that "the bromeliad was discovered by a Venezuelan scholar named Vicente Marcano."". Pioneers of Venezuela, PDVSA-Intevep. 1997.
- ^ Chittenden, R H; Elliott P Joslin; Frank Sherman Meara (1892). "On the ferments contained in the juice of the pineapple (Ananassa sativa): together with some observations on the composition and proteolytic action of the juice". Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. 8: 281–308.
- ^ S2CID 824024.
- ^ .
- ^ Jutamongkon R, Charoenrein S (2010). "Effect of Temperature on the Stability of Fruit Bromelain from Smooth Cayenne Pineapple" (PDF). Kasetsart Journal: Natural Science. 44: 943–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-29.
- PMID 15710346.
- ^ PMID 26028772.
- PMID 12587686.
- PMID 15710346.
- PMID 15841258.
- ^ a b "Bromelain". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- PMID 19116226.
- S2CID 42625009
- PMID 23493413.
External links
- The MEROPS online database for peptidases and their inhibitors: Stem Bromelain:C01.005, Fruit Bromelain:C01.028
- Bromelains at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)