Where do the immunostimulatory effects of oral proteolytic enzymes ('systemic enzyme therapy') come from? Microbial proteolysis as a possible starting point.

Enteric-coated proteolytic enzyme preparations like Wobenzym and Phlogenzym are widely used for the so-called 'systemic enzyme therapy' both in humans and animals. Numerous publications reveal that oral proteolytic enzymes are able to stimulate directly the activity of immune competent cells as well as to increase efficiency of some of their products. But origins of the immunostimulatory effects of oral proteolytic enzymes are still unclear.

Food-protein enzymatic hydrolysates possess both antimicrobial and immunostimulatory activities: a "cause and effect" theory of bifunctionality.

The antimicrobial activity (the ability to activate the microbial autolytic system) and immunostimulatory activity (the ability to improve the phagocytic cell functioning) of 20 food-protein hydrolysates [five food proteins (casein, alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, ovalbumin and serum albumin) hydrolyzed with four gastrointestinal proteinases (trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, pepsin and pancreatin)] were examined. All the food-protein hydrolysates acted antimicrobially in vitro towards all 24 microbial strains tested: autolysis of 20 naturally autolyzing strains was activated, with the autolysis activation index (K(A)) ranging from 1.04 to 22.

Oral tryptic casein hydrolysate enhances phagocytosis by mouse peritoneal and blood phagocytic cells but fails to prevent induced inflammation.

Mouse experiments were conducted in order to find whether oral application of tryptic casein hydrolysate (TCH) results in enhancement of phagocytosing capacity of murine phagocytic cells as well as whether such application might be of use for prevention of inflammatory processes. Phagocytosing capacity of phagocytic cells of mice that received oral TCH once daily in a dose of 1.0 mg/g body weight dissolved in 0.

Non-specific immunity-enhancing effects of tryptic casein hydrolysate versus Fermosorb for treatment/prophylaxis of newborn calf colibacillosis.

The effects of treatment/prophylaxis of newborn calf colibacillosis with tryptic casein hydrolysate (TCH), recently shown to be a novel type of antimicrobial acting through stimulation of the microbial autolytic system, versus an authorized veterinary drug, Fermosorb, were evaluated. Both products showed similar high therapeutic and prophylactic efficacies, but hematological indices and daily weight gain of cured/protected animals were better with TCH. The differences in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, total protein, gamma-globulin and sulfhydryl group quantities, bactericidal and lysozyme activities as well as daily weight gain at the end of treatment/prophylaxis were statistically significant (P<0.

Stimulation of microbial autolytic system by tryptic casein hydrolysate.

Antimicrobial activity of a tryptic casein hydrolysate (TCH), its mode of antimicrobial action and its efficacy in treatment using a newborn calf colibacillosis model are described. The antimicrobial activity of TCH activated the autolytic system of the microbial cell and was expressed mathematically as the autolysis activation index. TCH stimulated the autolytic enzyme system of the 19 bacterial and five fungal strains tested.