Bromelain separation and purification processes from pineapple extract

Abstract

The concern about the effective use of agro-industrial residues from the food industry has increased. Bromelain is an enzyme mainly obtained from the pineapple plant (A. comosus), including its parts normally considered as waste. It is a high value-added product with a wide variety of applications such as in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Many approaches have been used to purify this enzyme, but an efficient method to produce highly active and pure bromelain is still highly desirable. The investigated methods include ion exchange chromatography, precipitation, an aqueous two-phase system as well as affinity and filtration membranes. This paper gives an overview about the advantages and limitations of each one. Chronologic results and advances for these separation processes are also shown. The major tendency is the use of combined processes, such as hybrid or integrated ones.