Viability in the Production of a Drug Extracted from Ananas comosus by a Flat Membrane System

The aim of this work was to study the production of e bromelain from the Ananas comosus L. Merril, by determining the process conditions using flat membranes. The production system modeling generated a hyperbolical curve and the optimization by response surfaces showed an influence of the transmembrane pressure higher than the pH influence. The cost of the production of bromelain from A. comosus was estimated 9 to 13 times lower than Sigma's retail sales price and 6.5 to 8.5 times lower than when this enzyme was obtained through a liquid-liquid extraction, which showed the economical feasibility of the process.