What is Bromelain?

Bromelain is a combination of several thiol endopeptidases and others including various protease inhibitors, glucosidase, cellulase, phosphatase, peroxidase, and escharase. Bromelain is an active ingredient extracted from the fruit or stem of pineapple. However, the instability of bromelain under storage conditions and when taken orally limits the effective clinical use of bromelain. Therefore, the study of bromelain encapsulated in polymeric nanocarriers in order to bioavailability has been fruitful.

Bromelain Supplement

Bromelain is used as a dietary supplement to reduce pain and swelling, especially in the nose and sinuses, gums and other body parts after surgery or injury. It is also used for osteoarthritis, cancer, digestive problems and muscle soreness. In addition, bromelain helps to relieve burns.

Benefits

Studies conducted in both the lab and on animals show that bromelain has a variety of fibrinolytic, anti-edematous, antithrombotic, and anti-inflammatory effects. The body can absorb bromelain to a significant extent without it ceasing its proteolytic activity or having any negative side effects. Numerous therapeutic advantages of bromelain include wound debridement, improved drug absorption, and the management of sinusitis, bronchitis, angina pectoris, surgical trauma, and thrombophlebitis. Additionally, it treats numerous cardiovascular conditions, diarrhoea, and osteoarthritis. Bromelain also encourages apoptotic cell death and exhibits some anti-cancerous properties.

The aggregation of platelets both in vitro and in endothelial cells is prevented by bromelain. It also works as a fibrinolytic agent because it promotes the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin.  It also increases antibiotic absorption, resulting in effective drug diffusion in tissues and, as a result, a reduction in the probability of toxicity-related adverse effects. It is regarded as a potent anti-edematous and anti-inflammatory agent that works on a variety of targets that respond to inflammation, including immune system cells, and the coagulation cascade.

Bromelain acts on the immune system by enhancing the production of tumor necrosis factors, interferons, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors (GMCSF), and interleukins (IL-1, IL-2, IL-6). CD4+ helper T-lymphocytes activation is limited by bromelain thereby decreasing CD25 and CD44 expression. It stimulates p53 and Bax expression while inhibiting IB, Akt, extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1, nuclear factor-B (NF-B), and 2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Bromelain may serve as an anti-inflammatory agent by decreasing bradykinin production in the Kinin-Kalli-Krein pathway, as well as suppressing leukocyte migration and adhesion through an antagonistic impact on CD128 receptors.

Bromelain's efficacy in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disorders including angina pectoris, ischemia, and myocardial infarction, as well as musculoskeletal conditions like muscle injuries, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, has been proven. Finally, research has shown that the chemical is effective in lowering postoperative pain and edema. It has also been proved that there are almost no negative effects or overdoses.

Bromelain enzyme acts on the pre-degraded collagen networks of the carious lesion, it softens them and promotes their easy removal. Reddy et al. in an in-vitro study evaluated the efficacy of bromelain as the chemo-mechanical caries removal agent and concluded that it took 335 seconds for bromelain to remove caries and less amount of demineralized dentin was remaining thereafter.

Side effects

Bromelain is well tolerated orally and can be used safely for up to one year at doses of up to 240 mg per day. However, Bromelain may cause some side effects, including diarrhoea and stomach upset. And people who are sensitive to pineapple should use it with caution, as it may cause an allergic reaction.

References:

[1] PARIDHI AGRAWAL. Bromelain: A Potent Phytomedicine.[J]. Cureus, 2022. DOI:10.7759/cureus.27876.