Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Bromelain is a mixture of proteolytic enzymes found in various tissues of the pineapple plant (Ananas comosus) and other species of Bromeliaceae. Owing to its proteolytic activity, bromelain has been used in the food, medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, for its cell renewal, anti-ageing, whitening and anti-cellulite properties. ObjectiveThis study evaluated the stability of bromelain (commercial powder) incorporated in topical formulations. MethodsBromelain was incorporated at three concentrations, 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0%, in oil-in-water emulsion and gel, and stored for six months at varying stress conditions. Stability was accessed by measuring the changes in the protein content, enzymatic activity, viscosity, rheology, pH and colour of the selected formulations. ResultsThe colour of all the samples changed after 180 days of incubation, indicating the concentration-dependence and temperature-sensitive nature of these formulations. No relationship was observed between the changes in the pH, temperature and luminosity exposure in all the samples. Gels proved to be the least preferred base for incorporation of bromelain for use as a topical formulation, owing to its inability to maintain the integrity of bromelain, thereby affecting the formulation characteristics. ConclusionThe emulsion-based formulations at all the concentrations of bromelain were more stable than the gel-based formulation over 180 days of evaluation, at a temperature of 5 degrees C, protected from light. Resume ContexteLa bromelaine est un melange d'enzymes proteolytiques trouvees dans divers tissus de la plante d'ananas (Ananas comosus) et d'autres especes de bromeliacees. En raison de son activite proteolytique, la bromelaine a ete utilise dans les domaines alimentaire, medical, pharmaceutique et cosmetique, pour ses proprietes de renouvellement cellulaire, anti-vieillissement, blanchiment, et les proprietes anti-cellulite. ObjectifCette etude a evalue la stabilite de la bromelaine (poudre commerciale) incorpore dans des formulations topiques. MethodesLa bromeline a ete incorporee a trois concentrations, 0,5%, 1,0% et 2,0%, en emulsion gel et huile-dans-eau, et stockee pendant six mois a diverses conditions de stress. La stabilite a ete evaluee en mesurant les variations de la teneur en proteines, l'activite enzymatique, la viscosite, la rheologie, le pH et la couleur des formulations selectionnees. ResultatsLa couleur de tous les echantillons etait modifiee apres 180 jours d'incubation, indiquant la dependance de ces formulations a la concentration et a la temperature. Aucune relation n'a ete observee entre les changements dans le pH, la temperature, et l'exposition a la lumiere dans tous les echantillons. Les gels se sont averes etre moins apprecies en tant que base pour l'incorporation de la bromelaine pour utilisation dans une formulation topique, en raison de son incapacite a maintenir l'integrite de la bromelaine, ce qui affecte les caracteristiques des formulations. ConclusionLes formulations a base d'emulsion a toutes les concentrations de bromelaine etaient plus stable que la formulation a base de gel a plus de 180 jours d'evaluation, a une temperature de 5 degrees C, a l'abri de la lumiere.385535540CAPESCNPqFAPESPCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)