Serrapeptase

[cigafred]

I have been trying to find a little scientific support for the use of serrapeptase and coming up short. I understand how it can digest and dissolve fibrin coatings, but I find nothing with evidence that it actually does help treat prostate cancer. I have not been on this site for a long time, but I have tried to search here and everywhere else for something that goes beyond a description of how it is believed to benefit us. Thanks for any guidance.

[cigafred]

Many thanks Sir, I will continue searching.

[AlanMeyer]

I have a question about this for cigafred or Nalakrats (a professional chemist I believe).

Enzymes like serrapeptase are proteins containing, presumably, hundreds or more of amino acids linked by peptide bonds and folded into specific shapes that are essential for functioning. When they are ingested they go into the stomach where they get denatured by stomach acid, and broken down by stomach proteases like pepsin, which sever many of the peptide bonds. The denaturing eliminates a lot of the protein folding that is necessary for biological functioning and the proteases chop up the resultant peptide string into a bunch of shorter strings. In other words, the serrapeptase, like all proteins entering the stomach, would get digested.

I would think that the chance that enough would be left intact and in the right shape to retain its original function would be small. I would think that whatever is seen to work in vitro, can't be expected to work in vivo unless the molecules are injected rather than eaten. And even then there are huge barriers to their being taken up into target cells, which typically only pass smaller molecules.

Yes?

No?

Maybe?

What do you think?

Alan

[cigafred in reply to AlanMeyer]

Above my pay grade, though I did read in my recent searches that for some purposes the enzymes are injected and it was thought that oral doses would not be as effective.

[cigafred in reply to cigafred]

And I will check, but I think at least sometimes the oral form has an enteric coating, which theoretically gets it through the stomach intact.

[pjoshea13 in reply to AlanMeyer]

Alan,

While most enzymes are proteins & one wonders about the fate of them in the stomach, they tend not to be enteric coated.

Bromelain may be the most common oral enzyme (from pineapple). A quick look in the Swanson site gives only one of the many products as being coated (LEF's).

Nattokinase has been tested in humans & enough survives ingestion to "decreases plasma levels of fibrinogen, factor VII, and factor VIII" [1].

-Patrick

[1] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/193...

[PhilipSZacarias]

Hello cigafred, Nalakrats and pjoshea provided some good comments. I agree with Mr. Meyer regarding the breakdown of the enzyme in the gut and low probability of transport into the bloodstream. The following source may be useful: examine.com/supplements/ser.... Cheers, Phil

[cigafred in reply to PhilipSZacarias]

Agreed, thanks

[Graham49]

Colchicine may be another drug that can be used to digest fibrin.

To Investigate the Effect of Colchicine in Prevention of Adhesions Caused by Serosal Damage in Rats

İhsan Yıldız and Yavuz Savas Koca

Abstract

Introduction and Aim. Adhesion formation is a process which starts with an inflammation caused by a number of factors and eventually results in fibrosis. Colchicine prevents adhesion formation which is antifibrous process. The effectivity of colchicine in the prevention of adhesions was investigated. Materials and Methods. A total of 36 rats were equally divided into three groups: (I) control group 1 (n = 12), (II) abrasion group 2 (n = 12), and (III) abrasion + colchicine group 3 (n = 12). Group 1 underwent laparotomy and was orally given physiological serum 2 cc/day for 10 days. In Group 2, injury was created in the cecum serosa following laparotomy and they were orally given physiological serum 2 cc/day for 10 days. In Group 3, injury was created in the cecum serosa following laparotomy and the rats were orally given colchicine 50 mcg kg/day mixed with physiological serum 2 cc/day for 10 days. Laparotomy was performed and adhesions were examined both macroscopically and microscopically. Both macroscopic and microscopic examinations were performed using Zühlke's score. Results. A significant difference was observed among the adhesion scores of the groups both macroscopically and microscopically. Macroscopic score was lower in group 3 than group 2. Microscopic score was lower in group 3 than group 2. Conclusion. Oral administration of colchicine is effective in the prevention of adhesions.