Serraflazyme (Serrapeptase, 10,000 SPU)

Serratia peptidase was found in the gut of the silkworm. The larva, having spent its life building a cocoon of tough silk protein, must eventually dissolve a hole in it and walk out — and the enzyme it borrows from a resident microorganism, Serratia E15, is what does the dissolving. That is the whole natural history, and it explains what the enzyme is: a proteolytic enzyme, meaning it cleaves protein.

Serrapeptase is what is called a systemic enzyme rather than a digestive one. The distinction is a matter of where it is meant to act. Digestive enzymes work in the gut lumen on the food you have eaten. Systemic enzymes are intended to survive the stomach intact and be absorbed, which is a real technical difficulty, since the stomach's entire job is to denature protein — and an enzyme is a protein.

The answer here is the enteric coating. The tablet passes through gastric acid unopened and releases in the alkaline environment of the small intestine, which is the only way this delivery works at all. Take it away from food.

Each tablet supplies 5 mg serrapeptase at 10,000 SPU activity, used to support the body's normal inflammatory response.

100 enteric-coated tablets.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.