bromelain /brō′məlān/ , any of several enzymes that catalyze cleavage of proteins on the carboxyl side of alanine, glycine, lysine, and tyrosine bonds. Differing forms are derived from the fruit (fruit bromelain) and stem (stem bromelain) of the pineapple plant. The enzyme is administered orally as an antiinflammatory agent (especially to relieve swelling in the nasal and paranasal sinuses) and is also used in immunology to render red cells agglutinable by incomplete antibody.
