All over the world, millions of people relish eating pineapples. It is consumed raw, juiced, grilled or in any other form that one deems fit. Pineapple is a fruit that belongs to the family Bromeliaceae. Pineapple is a rich source of vitamins such as vitamin C, B, E, and K. It is also a rich source of antioxidants and other minerals. Pineapple has a natural sweet taste and it is mostly consumed for its rich and unique taste and flavor. Due to its acidic nature it sometimes gives a tarty feel in the mouth.(Mohsin et al., 2020)
Despite the great feeling that it brings, pineapple sometimes make the mouth taste bitter when it is consumed. This is because pineapple contains bromelain which is an enzyme. Enzymes are biological catalysts made up of proteins that speed up reactions. There are 6 different classes of enzymes and these are hydrolase, lyases, hydrogenase, ligases, oxidoreductase, isomerase, and transferase.(Rowan, 2013)
What is bromelain?
Bromelain is a protease, a subgroup of the hydrolase class. This class of enzymes breaks down compounds into their simple units. Protease is a group of enzymes that can digest proteins. Bromelain is naturally occurring and is distributed throughout the various parts of the pineapple plant that is the fruits, leaves and stem. It is currently declared by the Food and Drugs Authority as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).
Bromelain helps in improving cardiovascular health as it prevents clotting of the blood and blood platelets. It is also applied in the field of medicine to heal severe wounds caused by burns and used also to treat inflammations. Bromelain protein digestibility makes it a good meat tenderizer. Other fruits that plays this role is pawpaw (it contains papain which works similarly to bromelain), soy (contains trypsin).
How does bromelain works?
When bromelain gets into contact with a protein containing compound, it reacts with the protein by reducing its complex nature to a simple protein. When you eat pineapples, the bromelain penetrates the mucous lining of the tongue and reacts with the proteins in the tongue. The reaction leads to inactivation of several taste buds particularly the taste buds responsible for the sweetness and sourness (acidity). The temporal inactivation results in a shift in the reception of taste by the taste buds.
Why does water taste bitter?
When one drinks water, the water is temporarily perceived bitter. This is because the taste buds for sweetness and acidity are inactive. Water contains dissolved minerals which sometimes makes the water a little alkaline. When water is taken after eating pineapple, the taste is perceived bitter due to the absence of the sweetness and the sourness taste buds. For some people this feeling of bitterness last longer on their tongue and results in uncomfortable feeling. It also causes irritations in the mouth.
How long should I wait before drinking water?
The taste buds regenerate quickly, and so adjusts your taste back to normalcy. After eating pineapples one can wait for at least 30 minutes before drinking water. This leaves enough time for the bromelain to work and the tongue cells to be replaced.
How do you prevent the bitter taste?
There are several ways by which you can reduce the bitter after taste that comes with eating pineapple.
1. Soaking the pineapple in salt water.
Brine solution deactivates the bromelain in the pineapple and reduces its impact before it reaches the mouth. How does it happen? Enzymes are electrically charged protein molecules and as such requires a certain charge to be active. When table salt is dissolved in water it releases Na+ and Cl- ions. This ions causes a disruption in the charge of the proteins and renders them inactive. This reduces its effects on the tongue and also prevent the damage to the taste buds which reduces the bitter feelings after the consumption of pineapple.(Arakawa and Timasheff, 1991)
2. Mixing the pineapple in yogurts/ dairy products.
Yogurts and other dairy products contains proteins which bromelain acts on. During the reaction most of the bromelain contents is used up on the proteolysis of the proteins present in the yogurt or the dairy products. This explains why raw pineapples are not used in the production of ice creams. This is because gelatin a major ingredient used contains collagen which is a protein.
The bromelain digests the collagen. It breaks the peptide bonds between the molecules and prevents the gelatin from setting up, which is a property that causes it to gel. It is therefore recommended to use canned pineapples because they undergo heating during processing which denatures the protein. Aside the sciences, eating pineapples with yogurt is also a great recipe which is recommend.
3.Grilling the pineapple.
Grilling pineapples do not only bring out the sweet caramel taste and evoke its flavors but also causes the denaturing of the bromelain. When enzymes are subjected to high temperatures, the proteins denature. The entire shape of the enzyme is distorted. When it comes to enzyme substrate reaction, the shape of the enzyme is really important as it determines the compatibility with the substrate(Jutamongkon and Charoenrein, 2010). The change in shape renders the enzymes inactive and so unable to act on your taste buds. Next time you eat your pineapples you can try them grilled.
References
Arakawa, T. and Timasheff, S.N. (1991) ‘The Interactions of Proteins with Salts, Amino Acids, and Sugars at High Concentration’, Advances in Comparative and Environmental Physiology. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 226–245. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76226-0_8.
Cheng, L., Bromelain in Pineapple, or Why Pineapples Sting Our Tongue
How to Get Rid Of Pineapple Bitter Aftertaste? (Water Taste Bitter) - KitchenBun.com
Jutamongkon, R. and Charoenrein, S. (2010) ‘Effect of temperature on the stability of fruit bromelain from smooth cayenne pineapple’, Kasetsart Journal - Natural Science, 44(5), pp. 943–948.
Mohsin, A. et al. (2020) ‘Pineapple’, Antioxidants in Fruits: Properties and Health Benefits. Springer Singapore, pp. 379–396. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7285-2_19.
Rowan, A.D. (2013) ‘Fruit Bromelain’, Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes. Elsevier, pp. 1874–1875. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-382219-2.00424-5.
Why Pineapple Hurts Your Mouth (and How to Stop It) (lifehacker.com)
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