Pineapple Fruit Bromelain and Its Application: A Review

Pineapple, Ananas comosus (L.) Merr., one of the commercially important fruit crops of India, is a rich source of proteases namely stem bromelain (E.C. 3.4.22.32) and fruit bromelain (E.C. 3.4.22.33). Several different methods employing natural protein substrates, derivatized protein substrate or synthetic non-protein substrates are used to assay the proteases present in the pineapple. The fruit bromelain is an acidic protein having isoelectric point of 4.6. The N-terminal residue is Ala w ith the N-terminal sequence, Ala-Val-Pro-Gln-Ser-Ile-Asp-Trp-Arg-Asp-Tyr-Gly-Ala-. The principal C-terminal residue is Gly. The amino acid composition of the fruit bromelain preparation was found to be rich in Gly, Ser, Asp, Glu, Ala and Val. The enzyme bromelain finds uses in various agricultural and industrial applications and also in medicines and medical research. The present review paper deals w ith the pineapple protease specifically the fruit bromelain, its assay methods, properties and its various biotechnological applications.