Bromelian Enzyme Lab Report

DISCUSSION:
Bromelian added to Gelatin: Bromelian is an enzyme found in pineapples. When Bromelian is added to gelatin it breaks down the protein and does not allow the gelatin to solidify. There are several factors that can cause an enzyme to slow down or to completely stop reacting. For example, temperature and pH can effect enzyme activity. Canned pineapple juice and fresh pineapple juice were used to see how the enzyme would react differently. In fresh pineapple juice the Bromelian have would have been denatured as it would have been in canned pineapple juice. This is because canned pineapple juice has been heated and had gone through many processes to preserve it. When the tube with water was placed in ice it took two minutes and eight
seconds for the gelatin to freeze. When the gelatin was solidifies the tube was transparent. After 10 minutes of being in the ice the gelatin completely froze. Fresh pineapple with gelatin never froze in the ice after 10 minutes. This is because the Bromelian is breaking down the protein that is found in gelatin. No factors tampered the rate of how Bromelian reacted with gelatin in fresh pineapple juice. In canned pineapple juice the test tube was transparent and it also solidifies in two minutes and eight seconds. This reaction occurred because Bromelian in fresh pineapple juice has lost its’ ability to react with gelatin. As mentioned before canned pineapple juice went through many processes to preserve it. The enzymes in canned pineapple juice has been denatured preventing it to break down gelatin.
Temperature on the rate of Bromelian Reactions: Water and cold water were at room temperature.
The only difference between the two is that water only had gelatin in it and cold water had gelatin and fresh pineapple juice in it. After two minutes the water that only contained gelatin in it solidify. Cold water that contain gelatin and fresh pineapple juice solidifies after 15 minutes, however, there were liquid on the top. Maybe if the cold water tube stayed in the ice water for a little longer the gelatin would have completely solidify. Hot water contain gelatin and fresh pineapple juice. The table 2 shows that after 15 minutes gelatin was solidified with a small portion of gelatin in it. Before the gelatin was added the tube that was labeled hot water was heated to 70°C for five minutes. With the pineapple juice in heat it cause the enzyme to denature the function of the enzyme cease. If the fresh pineapple juice was not heated the gelatin would have not solidified. Although the hot water tube solidify it was not completely solidified because there were still substances on the top. Maybe if the hot water tube was left longer in the ice it would have completely
solidify.
The effect of pH on the Rate of Bromelian Reactions: An enzyme’s pH concentration is important because this also determines how well an enzyme can function before it becomes denatured.
For example, the pH in the stomach around 2.5 if the pH in the stomach become to basic serious problems will occur such as cells performing metabolic functions. Moreover, the water pH was not neutral as it usually should. This means that the water was not distilled. Distilled water has a pH of 7. The water used in this experiment was more acidic than it was basic. When gelatin was only added to water it solidify in three seconds. Bromelian reacts in pH level of 3.0 to 6.5 (Cichoke, 1999). Anything lower than 3.0 and anything higher than 6.5 the enzyme become denatured. Even though water had the pH of 6.5 the enzyme was not present therefore causing gelatin to solidify. Fresh pineapple juice had a pH of 3.5 which is in the normal range of Bromelian. With this enzyme present and nothing done to the enzyme it takes a longer time for the gelatin to solidify. The gelatin eventually solidifies even though Bromelian was present. This reaction occurs because Bromelian is in a cold environment which can affect the effect of the enzyme. If the tube was taken out of the cold environment Bromelian would continue breaking down the protein. The pH of HCL and fresh pineapple juice was 0. The normal stabilization range for Bromelian are 3.0-6.5 (Cichoke, 1999). The pH of HCL and fresh pineapple juice are
lower than 3.0. The pH concentration of 0 is extremely acidic for the enzyme to function therefore the gelatin solidify in 30 seconds. The most interesting finding of was the tube that contained HCL and water had a pH of 1. What was confusing was why the gelatin took so long to solidify and Bromelian was not present in the solution. Technically the even if Bromelian was present it should have taken an ample amount of time for the gelatin to solidify. This error could be a result to human error. The same thing occurred with NaOH and water with a pH of 13. This is extremely too alkaline for the enzyme to react. Again it should have taken less time for the gelatin to solidify. The reaction time for the gelatin to solidify is acting as it has Bromelian in it. The reaction tome of fresh pineapple juice, HCl and water and, NaOH and water are in close in proximity to solidify the gelatin. These results could be due to human error. Moreover, NaOH and fresh pineapple juice had a pH of 13. The pH of 13 is too basic for the enzyme to react which means that the gelatin should have solidified in seconds as it did with HCL and fresh pineapple juice. These problem can be due to human error.