Interactions with Bromelain

In a double-blind, clinical study with 127 patients, coadministration of bromelain (80 mg po) and amoxicillin (500 mg) increased concentrations of the antibiotic in the blood, organs, and tissues three and six hours after treatment (Tinozzi and Venegoni 1978). More research is needed to confirm these effects.

Tetracycline

Bromelain may increase the absorption and bioavailability of tetracycline. A randomized study involving 36 patients with chlamydia infections investigated the efficacy of tetracycline hydrochloride (1000 mg/day) plus bromelain (160 mg/day) against treatment with doxycycline (200 mg/day) alone (Sanders 1990). After one week, the infectious pathogen was eliminated in 66.7% of patients in the tetracycline plus bromelain group as compared to 55.6% in the doxycycline group; by day 14, no infection was detected in either group. However, an earlier study reported no effect on absorption or elimination of tetracycline when patients were coadministered bromelain (80 mg) with tetracycline (500 mg) (Bradbrook 1978).

References

Bradbrook JD. The effect of bromelain on the absorption of orally administered tetracycline. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1978;6(6):552-554.

Sanders HJ. Therapy of chlamydia infections with tetracyclines. Int J Exp Clin Chemother. 1990;3(2):101-106.

Tinozzi S, Venegoni A. Efffect of bromelain on serum and tissue levels of amoxycillin. Drugs Exptl. Clin. Res. 1978; 4(1):39-44.

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