Anti-inflammatory Activity of Bromelia hieronymi: Comparison with Bromelain

Some plant proteases (e. g., papain, bromelain, ficin) have been used as anti-inflammatory agents for some years, and especially bromelain is still being used as alternative and/or complementary therapy to glucocorticoids, nonsteroidal antirheumatics, and immunomodulators. Bromelain is an extract rich in cysteine endopeptidases obtained from Ananas comosus. In this study the anti-inflammatory action of a partially purified extract of Bromelia hieronymi fruits, whose main components are cysteine endopeptidases, is presented. Different doses of a partially purified extract of B. hieronymi were assayed on carrageenan-induced and serotonine-induced rat paw edema, as well as in cotton pellet granuloma model. Doses with equal proteolytic activity of the partially purified extract and bromelain showed significantly similar anti-inflammatory responses. Treatment of the partially purified extract and bromelain with E-64 provoked loss of anti-inflammatory activity on carrageenan-induced paw edema, a fact which is consistent with the hypothesis that the proteolytic activity would be responsible for the anti-inflammatory action.Fil: Errasti, María Eugenia. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas. Laboratorio de Investigacion de Proteinas Vegetales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Caffini, Nestor Oscar. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas. Laboratorio de Investigacion de Proteinas Vegetales; ArgentinaFil: Pelzer, Lilian Eugenia. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Rotelli, Alejandra Ester. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin