(95%), with the rest being d-a-ionone
(KARRER),^2 eugenol, hydrocarbons (mostly
heptacosane), and others.^3
TOXICOLOGY
Its major constituents, ionones, are reportedly
allergenic (MERCK).
USES
Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.
Used mainly in expensive perfumes.
Food. Quite extensively used in fruit-type
flavors (e.g., strawberry, raspberry, plum, and
peach) in most major categories of food pro-
ducts, including alcoholic and nonalcoholic
beverages, frozen dairy desserts, candy, baked
goods, gelatins and puddings, meat and meat
products, and condiments and relishes. Use
levels are very low, with highest average
maximum of about 0.001% (11.6 ppm) re-
ported in baked goods.
COMMERCIAL PREPARATION
Absolute.
Regulatory Status. Has been approved for
food use (§172.510).
REFERENCES
See the General References forARCTANDER;FEMA;GUENTHER;TERRELL.
- A. R. Penfold and J. L. Willis,Econ. Bot., 8 ,
316 (1954).
- F. V. Wells,Indian Perfum., 2 (Pt. 2), 27
(1958).
3. Y. R. Naves and G. R. Parry,Helv. Chim.
Acta, 30 , 419 (1947).
BROMELAIN
Source:Ananas comosus(L.) Merr. (syn.A.
sativus Schult. f.) and varieties (Family
Bromeliaceae).
Common/vernacular names:Bromelain, bro-
melains, bromelin (fruit-bromelin), plant pro-
tease concentrate.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Bromelains are sulfhydryl proteolytic en-
zymes obtained from the pineapple plant,
a perennial herb with many varieties native
to tropical America. Two kinds of bromelain
are known: stem bromelain and fruit brome-
lain, which are crude aqueous extracts of
the stem and immature fruit of pineapple
(A. cosmosus Merr., mainly from var.
Cayenne), respectively.^1
Commercial bromelain is currently pre-
pared by centrifugation, ultrafiltration and
freeze-drying of cooled pineapple juice,
which produces a yellowish powder. Stem
bromelain has been generally prepared from
the juice of pineapple wastes (mainly stems)
by precipitation with organic solvents (e.g.,
acetone and methanol) or by ultrafiltration.^2
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Crude bromelain contains proteinases mainly
consisting of glycosylated multiple enzymes
having molecular masses from 20 to 31 kDa.
Pineapple fruit contains fruit bromelain and
pineapple stem contains stem bromelain, ana-
nain, and comosain. It also contains various
Bromelain 113
