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Bromelain is a major sulfhydryl proteolytic enzyme found in pineapple plants (Ananas comosus (L.) Merryl). Bromelain is usually found in the fruit and stem, but it is also easy to find in small amounts in the leaf, skin, core, etc. Bromelain from pineapple stem is known as stem bromelain (SBM). SBM has a unique content compared with bromelain from fruit (FBM) because SBM contains many mixtures of various types of thiol-endopeptidases. Based on the research of Heinecke and Gortner, SBM concentrations are better than FBM. Bromelain has been reported to have medical efficacy. Bromelain has been used traditionally to relieve tense muscles, inflammation, and connective tissue. In recent years, bromelain has been used as an anti-inflammatory, antiedematous, and antithrombotic agent (preventing blood clotting). In addition, bromelain showed activity in preventing lung metastases and potentially as an anticancer agent[1].

Yellow-brown powder

Bromelain is a cysteine endopeptidase with broad specificity for cleavage of proteins. Bromelain may be from a stem or piece of fruit. Product P3169 (pGlu-Phe-Leu-p-nitroanilide) may be used as a chromogenic substrate for the assay of bromelain.

This protease has been purified via the acetone powder, G-75 Sephadex gel filtration and Bio-Rex 70 ion-exchange chromatography, and has  1cm 20.1 at 280nm. The protease from pineapple hydrolyses benzoyl glycine ethyl ester with a Km (app) of 210mM and kcat of 0.36 sec-1 . [Murachi Methods Enzymol 19 273 1970, Balls et al. Ind Eng Chem 33 950 1941.]

[1] Khairunnisa, F. A. et al. “Bromelain content of extract from stem of pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr).” 2018. 0.