The envelope of the influenza virus undergoes extensive structural change during the viral life cycle. However, it is unknown how lipid and protein components of the viral envelope contribute to its mechanical properties. Using atomic force microscopy, here we show that the lipid envelope of spherical influenza virions is ∼10 times softer (∼0.05 nanonewton nm(-1)) than a viral protein-capsid co...

Normal mice spontaneously develop plaque-forming cells (PFC) specific for antigens on modified self erythrocytes (bromelain-treated mouse erythrocytes [BrMRBC] antigens). Our study demonstrates that the sex-linked defect that results in the inability of CBA/N mice to respond to several T-independent antigens (TI-2 antigens) also regulates the autoantibody response to BrMRBC antigens. Thus, in C...

First introduced as a therapeutic compound in 1957, bromelain’s actions include: (1) inhibition of platelet aggregation; (2) fibrinolytic activity; (3) anti-inflammatory action; (4) anti-tumor action; (5) modulation of cytokines and immunity; (6) skin debridement properties; (7) enhanced absorption of other drugs; (8) mucolytic properties; (9) digestive assistance; (10) enhanced wound healing; ...

This article reviews various forms of enzyme supplementation used clinically in digestive and absorption disorders. Enzyme supplementation plays an integral role in the management of various digestive disorders, particularly with regard to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. However, application of enzymes may also be beneficial for other conditions associated with poor digestion including lacto...

Pineapple stem acetone powder provides a rich source of the sulfhydryl protease bromelain and of a family of compositionally similar but chromatographically distinct polypeptide inihibtors of this enzyme. The isoinhibitors have molecular weights of 5600, and they contain five disulfide bonds and about 50 amino acids each (Perlstein, S. H., AND Kezdy, F.J. (1973) J. Supramol. Struct. 1, 249-254)...

Pepsin is common digestive enzyme used for fish digestion in the laboratory to collect trematode metacercariae. In a field study, to survey the infected fish is needed a huge yield of pepsin and it is very expensive. Therefore, our purpose of this study was to investigate the candidate enzyme from pineapple juice which has a digestive enzyme called bromelain, a mixture of proteolytic enzymes, t...

Waste generated from the processing of marine organisms for food represents an underutilized resource that has the potential to provide bioactive molecules with pharmaceutical applications. Some of these molecules have known anti-thrombotic and anti-coagulant activities and are being investigated as alternatives to common anti-thrombotic drugs, like heparin and warfarin that have serious side e...

The aim of this study was to produce a valuable protein hydrolysate from palm kernel cake (PKC) for the development of natural antioxidants. Extracted PKC protein was hydrolyzed using different proteases (alcalase, chymotrypsin, papain, pepsin, trypsin, flavourzyme, and bromelain). Subsequently, antioxidant activity and degree of hydrolysis (DH) of each hydrolysate were evaluated using DPPH• ra...

The substrate specificities of papain-like cysteine proteases (clan CA, family C1) papain, bromelain, and human cathepsins L, V, K, S, F, B, and five proteases of parasitic origin were studied using a completely diversified positional scanning synthetic combinatorial library. A bifunctional coumarin fluorophore was used that facilitated synthesis of the library and individual peptide substrates...

Bromelain inhibitor (BI) is a cysteine proteinase inhibitor isolated from pineapple stem (Reddy, M. N., Keim, P. S., Heinrikson, R. L., and Kézdy, F. J. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 1741-1750). It consists of eight isoinhibitors, and each isoinhibitor has a two-chain structure. In this study, the genomic DNA has been cloned and found to encode a precursor protein with 246 amino acids (M(r) = appr...