Encapsulation of Bromelain in Combined Sodium Alginate and Amino Acid Carriers: Experimental Design of Simplex-Centroid Mixtures for Digestibility Evaluation

Abstract

Bromelain has potential as an analgesic, an anti-inflammatory, and in cancer treatments. Despite its therapeutic effects, this protein undergoes denaturation when administered orally. Microencapsulation processes have shown potential in protein protection and as controlled release systems. Thus, this paper aimed to develop encapsulating systems using sodium alginate as a carrier material and positively charged amino acids as stabilizing agents for the controlled release of bromelain in in vitro tests. The systems were produced from the experimental design of centroid simplex mixtures. Characterizations were performed by FTIR showing that bromelain was encapsulated in all systems. XRD analyses showed that the systems are semi-crystalline solids and through SEM analysis the morphology of the formed systems followed a pattern of rough microparticles. The application of statistical analysis showed that the systems presented behavior that can be evaluated by quadratic and special cubic models, with a p-value < 0.05. The interaction between amino acids and bromelain/alginate was evaluated, and free bromelain showed a reduction of 74.0% in protein content and 23.6% in enzymatic activity at the end of gastric digestion. Furthermore, a reduction of 91.6% of protein content and 65.9% of enzymatic activity was observed at the end of intestinal digestion. The Lis system showed better interaction due to the increased stability of bromelain in terms of the amount of proteins (above 63% until the end of the intestinal phase) and the enzymatic activity of 89.3%. Thus, this study proposes the development of pH-controlled release systems aiming at increasing the stability and bioavailability of bromelain in intestinal systems.

Bromelain: a review of its mechanisms, pharmacological effects and potential applications

“…131 It is also used in the production of protein supplements, where it helps to improve the bioavailability of protein by breaking down the peptide bonds and making it easier for the body to absorb. 132 Overall, bromelain is a versatile enzyme with numerous applications in the food industry. Its ability to tenderize meat, enhance flavour, and improve protein bioavailability makes it a valuable ingredient in various food products.…”

Plant and Arthropod IgE-Binding Papain-like Cysteine Proteases: Multiple Contributions to Allergenicity

“…Actinidin has shown only a partial degradation after simulated gastrointestinal digestion [ 12 , 13 ], thus suggesting that it can exert the proteolytic activity on the met tissues of the gut. In contrast, other PLCPs, such as bromelain [ 19 ], ficin [ 33 ] and papain [ 37 ], are reported to be unstable to gastrointestinal digestion ( Table 1 ). However, some PLCPs, such as bromelain, show very attracting therapeutic potentials, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities [ 19 ].…”

“…In contrast, other PLCPs, such as bromelain [ 19 ], ficin [ 33 ] and papain [ 37 ], are reported to be unstable to gastrointestinal digestion ( Table 1 ). However, some PLCPs, such as bromelain, show very attracting therapeutic potentials, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities [ 19 ]. To exploit these biological actions and overcome the difficulty of denaturation in the gastrointestinal environment, the pharmaceutical industry resorts to the oral delivery via encapsulation, which protects protein molecules, such as bromelain, avoiding its denaturation [ 48 ].…”

“…In the second possible event, the allergic reaction is not triggered because PLCP enzyme activity is neutralized by a specific inhibitor [ 53 , 149 ]. In the third case, PLCP is denatured and/or fragmented in the gastrointestinal environment [ 19 , 33 , 37 ]. In both the second and third event, the protease is inactivated, thus preventing the tissue damage and the transit of molecules capable of inducing an allergic reaction.…”

Investigation of the arc stability during self-shielded flux-coed arc welding with exothermic additions

“…The final choice of the mathematical model was made based on the values of sum squared (SS) and adjusted mean (MS). The higher their values, the more reliably the mathematical model describes the parameter under study [53]. Table 5 presents the regression coefficients for each response.…”