Systemic enzyme therapy: Fact or fiction? A review with focus on bromelains, proteolytic enzymes from the pineapple plant

Abstract

Speaking of enzymes and therapy, one might think of (small) molecules that aim at the inhibition of catalytic sites of enzymes in the first instance. Indeed, this approach represents the majority of pharmacological activities used for treatment of various diseases, be it by the inhibition of the transpeptidase enzyme in bacteria (e.g., by penicillin), the inhibition of cyclooxygenase as important factor in inflammation (e.g., by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen), of proton pumps in the stomach (e.g., by omeprazole), or the inhibition of tyrosine kinases involved in cancer progression (e.g., by imatinib).