Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple juice and in the pineapple stem. Pineapple has been used for centuries in Central and South America to treat indigestion and reduce inflammation. Along with papain, bromelain is one of the most popular proteases used to tenderize meat. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down proteins into various amino acids during digestion. It also has superior anti-inflammatory properties, and immune system modulating properties.

There are many ways the enzyme activity of bromelain can be measured. The most commonly used and standard ways are: GDU (gelatin digesting units), MCU (milk clotting units), and FCC PU (papain unit). This measurement is based on how much one gram of the enzyme will digest. The higher GDU, MCU, and FCC PU is, the greater the enzyme activity. One FCC Papain Unit (PU) is defined as that quantity of enzyme that liberates the equivalent of 1mcg of tyrosine per hour under the conditions of the assay. This procedure is sometimes used to determine the proteolytic activity of bromelain. The assay is based on a 60-minute proteolytic hydrolysis of a casein substrate at pH 6.0 and 40° C. If you are looking at different products trying to determine which product has superior enzyme activity, just remember the following conversion unit!
1 GDU= 1.5 MCU= 15,000 FCC PU.
Bromelain and anti-inflammation
The clinical study by Ordesi et al. (2014) demonstrates anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effect of bromelain. In the group of patients who were prescribed bromelain after surgery, the inflammatory response was significantly less than in the control group. Similarly, a clinical study by Majid and Al-Mashhadani (2014) also shows that oral bromelain is an effective therapy to improve the quality of life and reduction in pain after surgery compared to the placebo group.
Bromelain digests proteins
Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down proteins. For this reason, it is often used as a digestive aid and to treat muscle injuries. What makes bromelain particularly effective is the fact that it is vegetarian digestive enzyme. Plant-based enzymes are active across a wide pH range, which makes them useful for aiding digestion in the low pH of the stomach as well as the moderately high-pH environment of the intestine. Insufficient digestion in the mouth and stomach means the small intestine must work harder to break down and absorb food molecules. This imbalance often causes digestive discomfort including bloating, gas, and constipation.