Brief Introduction of Bromelain

Brief Introduction of Bromelain

By Nickole 2021-10-22

Bromelain or pineapple extract is a compound composed of proteases commonly found in pineapple. It is light yellow amorphous powder with slight peculiar smell.

Where does bromelain come from?

The only major source of bromelain is the pineapple plant. This enzyme is usually extracted from pineapple stems or young pineapple fruits, but it has been found that other parts of the pineapple plant also have lower bromelain content. At present, no other fruits have been found to contain a large amount of bromelain. According to different extraction locations, bromelain mixtures are currently divided into two types. They are:

• Stem bromelain (SBM)-This type of bromelain is the most common on the market because of its lower extraction cost and the pineapple stem is basically of no other value. The extraction method is by centrifugation, ultrafiltration or lyophilization. When referring to or using bromelain in mainstream products, it is likely to refer to this type.

• Fruit bromelain (FBM) — According to research, fruit bromelain has lower digestive activity than stem bromelain, but its proteolytic activity is better. Unlike stem bromelain, this type of bromelain is not widely used due to its limited supply.

It has been observed that the effect of bromelain depends on the time of administration. For example, if taken after a meal, it can help promote digestion and absorption, but if taken on an empty stomach, it can help relieve inflammation.