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Systemic Enzyme Therapy: Fact or Fiction? A Review with Focus on Bromelains, Proteolytic Enzymes from the Pineapple Plant

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Abstract

In this chapter, bromelain, a crude multi-component extract isolated from the stems of the pineapple plant, takes us on a tour through rather unusual therapeutic approaches and pharmacological mechanisms. Bromelain acts on several targets that address edematous, inflammatory, and immunological processes. Therefore, many indications have been treated with or are conceivable to be treated by use of this phytomedicine. Bromelain teaches us that we should keep an open mind toward at first sight exotic therapeutic approaches. A plea for the use of the potential of natural products that are well established in medical therapy for decades or even centuries.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    To put it right: the inhibition of only one enzyme through the action of a highly selective active ingredient is not necessarily and always equivalent to a highly restricted pharmacodynamic action. For example, inhibitors of the mentioned tyrosine kinase influence several intracellular processes by inhibiting the signaling pathway at an early stage. Still these inhibitors act much more selectively as compared to classical chemotherapeutics. Generally spoken, the more downstream the interference within a particular signaling cascade and the more selective the inhibitor, the more selective the pharmacodynamic activity will be.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH, Industriestraße 35, 66129, Saarbruecken, Germany

    Peter Meiser & Zhanjie Xu

  2. Laboratoire d’Ingénierie Moléculaire et Biochimie Pharmacologique, Université de Lorraine 1, Boulevard Arago, 57070, Metz, France

    Zhanjie Xu & Gilbert Kirsch

  3. Bioorganische Chemie, Universitaet des Saarlandes, 66041, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Claus Jacob

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  1. Peter Meiser
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  2. Zhanjie Xu
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  3. Gilbert Kirsch
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  4. Claus Jacob
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Meiser .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bioorganic Chemistry/School of Pharmacy, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany

    Claus Jacob

  2. SRSMC UMR 7565, Université de Lorraine, Metz, Moselle, France

    Gilbert Kirsch

  3. Plant Physiology (Bio III), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Alan Slusarenko

  4. Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom

    Paul G. Winyard

  5. Bioorganic Chemistry/School of Pharmacy, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany

    Torsten Burkholz

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Meiser, P., Xu, Z., Kirsch, G., Jacob, C. (2014). Systemic Enzyme Therapy: Fact or Fiction? A Review with Focus on Bromelains, Proteolytic Enzymes from the Pineapple Plant. In: Jacob, C., Kirsch, G., Slusarenko, A., Winyard, P., Burkholz, T. (eds) Recent Advances in Redox Active Plant and Microbial Products. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8953-0_18

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