Everything you need to know about the cultivation, growth and production of Pineapple tress and plants. Learn about:- 1. Introduction to Pineapple 2. Climate and Soil Required for Cultivating Pineapple 3. Propagation 4. Planting 5. Manuring and Fertilization 6. Weed Control 7. Harvesting and Yielding 8. Pest and Diseases 9. Varieties 10. Uses.
Contents:
- Introduction to Pineapple
- Climate and Soil Required for Cultivating Pineapple
- Propagation of Pineapple
- Planting of Pineapple
- Manuring and Fertilization of Pineapple
- Weed Control of Pineapple
- Harvesting and Yielding of Pineapple
- Pest and Diseases of Pineapple
- Varieties of Pineapple
- Uses of Pineapple
1. Introduction to Pineapple:
Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is an important fruit crop in India.
It is a tropical plant and fruit (multiple), probably native to Brazil or Paraguay. It has spread to other tropical parts of the world. In the scientific binomial Ananas comosus, ananas (family Bromeliaceae Juss) comes the original (Peruvian) Tupi word for pineapple nanas, as recorded by André Thevenet in 1555 and comosus means “tufted” and refers to the stem of the fruit.
Other members of the Ananas genus are often called pineapple as well by laymen. The word pineapple was first recorded in 1398 and was originally used to describe the reproductive organs of conifer trees (now termed pine cones).
When European explorers discovered this tropical fruit, they called them pineapples (term first recorded in that sense in 1664) because it resembled what we know as pine cones. The term pine cone was first recorded in 1695 to replace the original meaning of pineapple. Its cultivation is confined to high rainfall and humid coastal regions in the peninsular India and hilly areas of north-eastern region.
In India, it is commercially grown in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa and on a small scale in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The plant is a terrestrial herb 2 ½ to 5 ft (.75-1.5 m) high with a spread of 3 to 4 ft (.9-1.2 m); a very short, stout stem and a rosette of waxy, strap like leaves, long-pointed, 20 to 72 in (50-180 cm) long; usually needle tipped and generally bearing sharp, up-curved spines on the margins. The leaves may be all green or variously striped with red, yellow or ivory down the middle or near the margins.
At blooming time, the stem elongates and enlarges near the apex and puts forth a head of small purple or red flowers, each accompanied by a single red, yellowish or green bract. The stem continues to grow and acquires at its apex a compact tuft of stiff, short leaves called the “crown” or “top”.
Occasionally a plant may bear 2 or 3 heads, or as many as 12 fused together, instead of the normal one.
The oval to cylindrical-shaped, compound fruit develops from many small fruits fused together. It is both juicy and fleshy with the stem serving as the fibrous core. The tough, waxy rind may be dark green, yellow, orange-yellow or reddish when the fruit is ripe. The flesh ranges from nearly white to yellow.
In size the fruits are up to 12 in. long. As individual fruits develop from the flowers they join together forming a cone shaped, compound, juicy, fleshy fruit to 12 in (30 cm) or more in height, with the stem serving as the fibrous but fairly succulent core.
The fruit is made up of hexagonal units, may be dark- green, yellow, orange-yellow or reddish when the fruit is ripe. The flesh ranges from nearly white to yellow. If the flowers are pollinated, small, hard seeds may be present, but generally one finds only traces of undeveloped seeds. Since hummingbirds are the principal pollinators, these birds are prohibited in Hawaii to avoid the development of undesired seeds.
Offshoots, called “slips”, emerge from the stem around the base of the fruit and shoots grow in the axils of the leaves. Suckers (aerial suckers) are shoots arising from the base of the plant at ground level; those proceeding later from the stolons beneath the soil are called basal suckers or “ratoons”.
2.
Climate and Soil Required for Cultivating Pineapple:
The pineapple is a crop of humid tropics. A temperature range of 18.33-45°C is most favorable, though the plant can tolerate cool nights for short periods. Prolonged cold retards growth, delays maturity and causes the fruit to be more acid. Altitude has an important effect on the flavor of the fruit.
Ideally, rainfall would be about 45 inch, half in the spring and half in the fall; though the pineapple is drought tolerant and will produce fruit under yearly precipitation rates ranging from 25 to 150 inch depending on cultivar and location and degree of atmospheric humidity.
The latter should range between 70 and 80 degrees. A high temperature at night is deleterious and a difference of at least 4°C between day and night temperatures is desirable. The optimum annual rainfall for its commercial cultivation is 100-150 cm, it grows remarkably well under a wide range of rainfall. In areas where the rainfall is less. Supplementary protective irrigations are necessary during dry season.
The plants can grow in any type of soil except on very heavy clay soil. Sandy loam soils are very suitable. The soil depth should be 45-60 cm without hard pan or stones. Low-lying areas with high water-table should be avoided. The plants prefer a soil pH of 5.0-6.0.
The best soil for pineapple culture is a well-drained, sandy loam with a high content of organic matter and it should be friable for a depth of at least 2 ft (60 cm), and pH should be within a range of 4.5 to 6.5. Soils that are not sufficiently acid are treated with sulfur to achieve the desired level.
If excess manganese prevents response to sulfur or iron, as in Hawaii, the plants require regular spraying with very weak sulfate or iron. The plant cannot stand waterlogging and if there is impervious subsoil, drainage must be improved.
Pure sand, red loam, clay loam and gravelly soils usually need organic enrichment. Filter press-cake from sugar mills, worked into clay soils in Puerto Rico, greatly enhances plant vigor, fruit yield, number of slips and suckers.
3. Propagation of Pineapple:
Seeds are desired only in breeding programs and are usually the result of hand pollination. The seeds are hard and slow to germinate. Treatment with sulfuric acid achieves germination in 10 days, but higher rates of germination (75-90%) and more vigorous growth of seedlings results from planting untreated seeds under intermittent mist. The seedlings are planted when 15-18 months old and will bear fruit 16-30 months later.
The plant is propagated through vegetative propagation. Pineapple is very easy to propagate vegetatively. Suckers arising in the axil of the leaves on the main stem form roots and can be used for propagation. Even the crown of leaves above the frit and parts of the stem itself can be used.
Another method of propagation is by slips, which are the suckers, arising immediately below the fruit. Suckers and slips should be preferred for planting as they come to bearing earlier than the crown and produce larger fruits.
The performance of the plant depends on vigour, growth rate, time taken for bearing, fruit size and quality of planting material. Besides type and size of plant material also results in variation in the performance of plants. Crowns (or tops), slips, suckers and ratoons have all been commonly utilized for vegetative multiplication of the pineapple.
Some growers also used stumps, that is, mother plant suckers that have already fruited. Vegetatively propagated plants fruit in 15-22 months. In suckers and slips, larger planting material results in more vigorous plants.
For Coorg (Karnataka) and Jorhat (Assam) suckers and slips weighing 501- 750 g and 301-400 g are ideal planting material. Suckers weighing 501-1000 g is the best material for Thrissue (Kerala). In case of non-availability of slips, suckers weighing about 500 g are ideal. If sufficient suckers are not available, slips weighing about 350 g are best.
There is an increased demand for planting material, therefore, a new method of mass propagation received wide attention in 1960. During the harvest, plants that have borne single-crowned, superior fruits without basal slips are selected and marked. Following harvest, these plants are cut close to the ground, the leaves are stripped off and the stems usually 30-60 cm long and 7.5-10 cm thick – are sliced lengthwise into 4 triangular strips.
The strips are disinfected and placed 10 cm apart, with exterior side upward, in beds of sterilized soil, semi-shaded and sprinkler-irrigated. Shoots emerge in 3 to 5 weeks and are large enough to transplant to the nursery in 6 to 8 weeks. This use of the stem is a major improvement over the former practice of allowing it to develop suckers high up after the fruit is harvested.
If such suckers bear fruit in situ they are not strong enough to support it and collapse. They are better removed for planting, but repeated removal of suckers weakens the mother plant.
In Sri Lanka, stem cross-sections 2.5 cm thick – 15 to 24 from each stem are used. These sprout in 4 weeks but plant growth is slow and fruiting is also delayed for 30 months.
The butts, or bases, of mother plants, with leaves intact, are laid end to end in furrows in nurseries and covered with 5-7.5 cm of soil. Sprouting occurs in 6 to 8 weeks. The butts give an average of 6 suckers each, though some have put forth up to 25. A 0.4 ha nursery of 25,000 butts, therefore, yields between 100,000 and 200,000 suckers.
The Pineapple Research Institute in Hawaii has also employed axillary buds at the base of crowns. Each crown segment may develop 20 plantlets. This method has been adopted in Sri Lanka for perpetuating superior strains but not for commercial cultivation because the resulting plants require 24 months or more to fruit.
In India, because of low production of slips and suckers in Smooth Cayenne, crown cuttings (15-16 per crown) have been adopted for propagation with 95% success, and this method is considered more economical than the utilization of butts.
Vegetative propagation does not assure facsimile reproduction of pineapple cultivars, as many mutations and distinct clones have occurred in spite of it.
4. Planting of Pineapple:
Before planting, suckers are sorted out into larger, medium and small to avoid competition between plants of different sizes. Too large suckers or slips should not be used for planting. Suckers weighing 400-500 g or slips of 350-450 g are considered suitable as planting material. Prior to planting curing of slips and suckers for 8-10 days in shade is necessary as fresh suckers planted in moist soil begin to decay.
Before planting some of the lower leaves are removed from the sucker to facilitate the formation and entry of roots into the soil. After removing scaly leaves, planting material should be treated with Monocrotophos (0.15%) and Carbendazim (0.1%) solution to protect against mealy bugs and heart rot, respectively.
Natural flowering period depends on time of planting time which differs from region-to-region. At the time of natural flowering, if the plant does not attain the optimum physiological maturity, either it escapes flowering the next season or if flowering is induced in the same season, the plant, bear very small fruits. The ideal time of planting is 12-15 months before the peak flowering season (varies from December to March according to regions).
System of planting varies according to land and rainfall. There are 4 planting systems – flat-bed, furrow, contour and trench.
The density of pineapple crop depends on growth system of planting. In India, adoption of low-planting densities emerged as the major constraint results in high production cost. For subtropical and mild humid regions plant density should be 63,400 plants/ha (22.5 cm x 60 cm x 75 cm) while for hot and humid conditions plant density should be 53,300 plants/ha (plant-to- plant space = 25 cm, within a row 60 cm, row-to-row is 90 cm (25 cm x 60 cm x 90 cm).
This kind of planting gives high yield. In hilly (north-eastern states), high fertile and rainfed areas the plant density should be 43,500 plants/ha spaced at 30 cm x 60 cm x 90 cm is recommended. The fruits should be protected from sun-burn.
5. Manuring and Fertilization of Pineapple:
Nitrogen is essential to increase fruit size and total yield, which should be added every four months. Spraying with a urea solution is another way to supply nitrogen. Fruit weight has also been increased by the addition of magnesium. Of the minor elements, iron is the most important, particularly in high pH soils.
Iron may be supplied by foliar sprays of ferrous sulfate. Pineapple requires high level of N and K. Since these nutrients are prone to heavy losses in soils, practices relating to time of application and form of fertilizer determine their efficient use. It is thus advisable to apply N and K2O each @ 12 g/plant. There is no need for P application.
6. Weed Control of Pineapple:
Hariyali and nutgrass are the common weeds in pineapple plantations. Weeding is important from the economic point of view. Hand weeding especially in closely spaced crop is cumbersome and uneconomic. Therefore chemical control of weed is advisable.
Pineapple Research Station, Vellanikkara, Thrissur (Kerala), recommended application of Diuron at 3 kg /ha or combination of Diuron (1.5 kg/ha) + Bromacil (2.0 kg /ha) as pre- emergence spray. It should be repeated with half of the dose, 5 months after the first application. Irrigation followed by the herbicide spray helps in carrying herbicides to the root zone of the weeds.
Earthing Up:
Due to its shallow root system pineapple plants are prone to lodging. Lodging of plants during fruit development results in lopsided growth and uneven development of fruits. Hence earthing up is an important operation in pineapple cultivation, as it helps in promoting good anchorage to plants. It involves pushing soil into the trench from the ridge, where trench planting is common.
Mulching:
Mulching is one of the cultural practices aimed at weed control and soil- moisture conservation. It is essential when pineapple is gown as a rainfed crop and is feasible where flatbed planting is followed. In South India, mulch of leaves or straw is spread on soil between the plants. However, use of black polythene film as mulch is equally beneficial.
Removal of Suckers, Slips and Crowns:
Suckers start growing with the emergence of inflorescence while slips grow with developing fruits. Only one or two suckers are retained on the plant for ratooning while additional suckers and all slips are removed. This is essential as the growth of these may weaken plant and hinder fruit development.
Desuckering can be delayed as much as possible since fruit weight was found to increase with increasing number of suckers per plant. Increased number of slips delayed fruit maturity; therefore they are removed as soon as they attain the size required for planting.
Where early harvest is required slips are removed as and when they sprout. Removal of crown is not required as it mars appeal of fruit and also makes handling difficult. However in Kew variety, partial pinching of crown by removing the inner whorls of leaflets along with the growing tips one and half month after fruit set lead to increased fruit size ICAR Pineapple.
Ratoon Crop:
In India, pineapple is retained for about three crops. The subsequent rotation crops are borne by the suckers given out by the original plant. Only two of these suckers should be retained and all others removed. Slips should also be removed. Plants should be fertilized and earthened up so that they can have good anchorage for ratoon crop.
Irrigation:
The plant is surprisingly drought tolerant, but adequate soil moisture is necessary for good fruit production. In rainfed conditions, supplementary irrigation helps to obtain high yield. Irrigation is also important in establishing off-season planting to maintain its year-round production. In scanty rainfall and during hot weather irrigating pineapple once in 20-25 days is advisable.
Use of Growth Regulators:
Application of NAA and NAA-based compounds – Planofix and Celemone @ 10-20 ppm-induces flowering in pineapple. However, variability in induction of flowering from season-to-season and low effectiveness of this plant growth regulator during unfavourable weather are the main factors which have made NAA less dependable.
Flowering in pineapple Kew could be induced with the application of Ethephon or ethrel (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) (100 ppm). The concentration of Ethephon could be reduced to 25 ppm by combining it with 25 urea and 0.04% sodium carbonate.
The concentration may further be reduced to 10 ppm in combination with urea (2%) and sodium carbonate (0.04%). However, the latter treatment is effective only during January-May. The application of 50 ml solution/plant containing calcium carbide (20 g/litre) or Ethrel (0.25 ml/litre) causes flower induction. Flower induction should be done when the plants attain at least 35-40 functional leaves, so that the plants produce fruits of normal size.
Application of NAA (200-300 ppm) 2-3 months after fruit set increases 15- 20% fruit size. To get the year-round availability of pineapple, it should be planted at regular intervals round the year. Using suckers and slips of different sizes and crowns as planting material and applying flower-inducing chemicals also provide its availability round the year.
7. Harvesting and Yielding of Pineapple:
Pineapple plants flower 10-12 months after planting and attain harvesting stage 15-18 months after planting, depending on the variety, time of planting, the type and size of plant material used and the prevailing temperature during fruit development. Under natural conditions, pineapple comes to harvest during May- August.
With a slight colour change at the base of developing fruit, it could be harvested for canning purpose. But for table purpose, the fruit could be retained till it develops satisfactory golden yellow colour. Harvesting is done with a sharp knife, severing the fruit-stalk with a clean cut retaining 5-7 m of stalk with the fruit in such a way that the fruit is not damaged.
The yield of pineapple fruit varies with the variety, agro-climate, agro techniques and planting density. The fruit yield with a plant density of 35000- 40000 plants/ha was about 40-50 tonnes and that of 43,300-50000 plants/ha was 50-60 tonnes.
8. Pest and Diseases of Pineapple:
1. Mealy Bug (Pseudococcus brevipes):
The rapid spread of this malady in the field is largely due to the feeding habit of bugs. Symptoms first appear on roots which cease to grow, eventually leading to collapse of tissues. The most predominant symptom is wilting of leaves, commencing from leaf tips.
Reddish-yellow colour develops in the wilting areas. Finally the plants rot and develop decaying suckers. Fruits developed are undersized. Ants of several species act as carriers of mealy bugs.
Control:
Application of Phorate granules @ 1.75 kg/a.i /ha at 100 days after planting controls mealy bugs (IIHR, Bangalore). This insecticide should not be applied at the time of flowering and fruiting because of its systemic nature. Indirect control of mealy bugs can be achieved by treating soil with either Chlordane (27.5 kg/ha) or Heptachlor (22.5 kg/ha) to check carrier ants.
2. Nematodes (Meliodogyne sp.):
During low population of nematodes there are no visible symptoms however, at a later plant growth is restricted and finally leaves become chlorotic.
Control:
Healthy plant material should be used for new plantings. The common method followed to control nematodes is soil fumigation with Ethylene Dibromide (EDB) at 100 kg/ha or EDB 15 at 250 to 350 litres/ ha, 2- 3 weeks before planting depending upon the severity of infection. Plants soaked in 1,500 ppm Nemacur solution and treated with 0.2 g/plant every 2 months were found free from nematodes.
3. Leaf and Fruit-Rot (Cyratostomella paradoxa):
Base or butt rot of planting material occurs when they are not dried and packed with little aeration. Fungus also destroys older plants by entering through wounds caused in the collar region while weeding or other operations. In severe conditions the entire plant may turn dark and rot within two or three days.
Control:
The disease can be controlled by dipping planting materials in 0.3% Dithane Z-78 or by spraying on leaves. Copper fungicide should not be used in pineapple as they cause leaf scorching.
The diseased plants must be destroyed and suckers for propagation should never be collected from the infested area.
4. Leaf Spot (Phytophthora sp.):
It occurs frequently in moist, warm, climate of eastern parts in India. Initial symptoms are in the form of water soaked lesions on the leaves. The spots later on enlarge in size and gradually dries up.
Control:
Affected plantations should be sprayed with Chlorthalonil 20 g or Zineb 20 g/10 litre of water. Good soil drainage and use of healthy planting material at helps in minimizing the spread of the disease.
5. Thielaviopsis Rot (Thielaviopsis paradoxa):
The symptoms start at the stem and advance through most of the flesh with the only external symptom being slight skin darkening due to water soaking of the skin over rotted portions of the flesh. As the flesh softens, the skin above readily breaks under slight pressure.
Control:
Careful handling of the fruit to minimize mechanical injuries. Prompt cooling and maintenance of optimum temperature and relative humidity throughout postharvest handling operations. Application of fungicides, such as Thiabendazole (TBZ) is recommended.
6. Black-Rot or Soft-Rot:
A delay of some days between harvest and utilization of the ripe fruits leads to the development of black-rot or soft-rot. The fungus makes its entry through wounds caused during picking and packing. Infestation starts at the stalk-end of the fruit, resulting in small, circular, water-soaked spots that are very soft. Gradually, fruit rots and emits foul smell.
Control:
Dipping of fruits for 5 minutes in Thiabendazole (100 ppm) or Benomyl (3000 ppm) minimize rotting. Avoiding injury to the fruit during harvest and transit prevents disease occurrence.
7. Heart-Rot (Phytophthora parasitica):
The disease causes complete rotting of the central portion of the stem. The top leaves turn brown and basal portion of leaves shows sign of rotting with foul odour. Poor physical condition of the soil and inadequate drainage are responsible for spread of the disease.
Control:
Affected plantations should be sprayed with Chlorthalonil 20 g or Zineb 20 g/10 litre of water. Good soil drainage and use of healthy planting material at helps in minimizing the spread of the disease.
9. Varieties of Pineapple:
In international trade, the numerous pineapple cultivars are grouped in four main classes – Smooth Cayenne, Red Spanish, Queen, and Abacaxi, despite much variation in the types within each class.
1. Bumanguesa:
It is from Venezuela and Colombia and is probably a mutation of Perolera. The fruit is red or purple externally, cylindrical with square ends, shallow eyes, deep-yellow flesh, and very slender core but has slips around the crown and too many basal slips to suit modern commercial requirements.
2. Charlotte Rothschild:
It is second to Giant Kew in size in India, tapers toward the crown, is orange-yellow when ripe, aromatic, very juicy. The crop comes in early. ‘Baron Rothschild’, a Cayenne strain, grown in Guinea, has a smaller fruit 1 ¾ to 5 lbs (0.8-2 kg) in weight, marketed fresh.
3. Giant Kew:
It is well-known in India, bears a large fruit averaging 6 lbs (2.75 kg), often up to 10 lbs (4.5 kg) and occasional up to 22 lbs (10 kg). The core is large and its extraction results in too large a hole in canned slices.
4. Hilo:
It is a variant of Smooth Cayenne selected in Hawaii in 1960. The plant is more compact, the fruit is smaller, more cylindrical; produces no slips but numerous suckers It may be the same as the ‘Cayenne Lisse’ strain grown in Martinique and on the Ivory Coast, the fruit of which weighs from 2 to 2 ¾ lbs (1-1 ½ kg) and has a very small crown.
5. Jaldhup and Lakhat:
These are 2 indigenous types grown in Assam, both being named after the place of their production. Both are under Queen group with fruits smaller than Queen. Lakhat is markedly sour in taste, whereas Jaldhup has its sweetness well-belended with acidity. The fruits of Jaldhup again have a characteristic alcoholic flavour of their own and can be easily distinguished from other fruits of the Queen group on the basis of this character alone.
6. Kew:
It is a leading commercial variety valued particularly for canning. Its fruits are big-sized (1.5-2.5 kg), oblong and tapering slightly towards the crown.
7. Kona Sugarloaf:
5-6 lbs, white flesh with no woodiness in the center. Cylindrical in shape, it has a high sugar content but no acid. An unusually sweet fruit.
8. Mauritious:
A mid-season variety of the Queen group, it is grown in some parts of Kerala. Medium in size, its fruits are deep yellow and red. Yellow fruits are oblong, fibrous and medium sweet compared with red ones. This is ideal for table purposes.
9. Monte Lirio:
It is from Mexico and Central America, also has smooth leaves with no terminal spine. The fruit is rounded, white-fleshed, with good aroma and flavor. Costa Rica exports fresh to Europe.
10. Natal Queen:
2-3 lbs, golden yellow flesh, crisp texture and delicate mild flavor. Well adapted to fresh consumption. Keeps well after ripening. Leaves spiny.
11. Pernambuco (Eleuthera):
2-4 lbs with pale yellow to white flesh. Sweet, melting and excellent for eating fresh. Poorly adapted for shipping. Leaves spiny.
12. Perolera (Tachirense, Capachera, Motilona, and Lebrija):
It is a Smooth Cayenne type ranking second to ‘Red Spanish’ in importance in Venezuela. It has long been grown in Colombia. The plant is entirely smooth with no spine at the leaf tip. The fruit is yellow, large-7 to 9 lbs (3-4 kg) and cylindrical.
13. Queen:
Widely grown in Tripura, and partly in Assam and Meghalaya, its fruits are rich yellow in colour, weighing 0.9-1.3 kg each. The flesh is deep golden-yellow, less juicy.
14. Red Spanish:
2-4 lbs, pale yellow flesh with pleasant aroma; squarish in shape. Well adapted for shipping as fresh fruit to distant markets. Leaves spiny.
15. Smooth Cayenne:
Cayenne, Cayena Lisa in Spanish (often known in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand as Sarawak or Kew) was selected and cultivated by Indians in Venezuela.
The plants near freedom from spines except for the needle at the leaf tip and the size-4 to 10 lbs (1.8 4.5 kg)-cylindrical form, shallow eyes, orange rind, yellow flesh, low fiber, juiciness and rich mildly acid flavor, it has become of greatest importance worldwide even though it is subject to disease and does not ship well.
Mainly, it is prized for canning, having sufficient fiber for firm slices and cubes as well as excellent flavor.
16. St. Michael:
It is another strain of ‘Smooth Cayenne’ is the famous product of the Azores. The fruit weighs 5 to 6 lbs (2.25-2.75 kg), has a very small crown, a small core, is sweet with low acidity, and some regard it as insipid when fully ripe.
10. Uses of Pineapple:
i. Food Value:
Pineapple is cultivated for fruit, used fresh, canned, frozen, or made into juices, syrups, or candied. Pineapple bran, the residue after juicing, is high in vitamin A, and is used in livestock feed. From the juice may be extracted citric acid, or on fermentation, alcohol. In the Philippines, a fine quality cloth is made from leaf fibers.
Commercial bromelain is generally prepared from pineapple wastes. A mixture of several proteases, bromelain is used in meat tenderizers, in chill-proofing beer, manufacturing precooked cereals, in certain cosmetics, and in preparations to treat edema and inflammation. Bromelain is nematicidal.
Pineapples contain an enzyme called Bromelain which aids in the breakdown of Fibrin, which is a component of clots responsible for strokes and heart attacks (Thrombosis). Besides the fruit, the leaves furnish fibers of great strength, not injured by water.
In Philippines, a delicate and costly fabric, pina cloth, is made from these fibers. Pineapple contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain, which digests food by breaking down protein. Pineapple juice can thus be used as a marinade and tenderizer for meat.
The enzymes in pineapples can interfere with the preparation of some foods, such as jelly or other gelatin-based desserts. There is significant evidence pointing to the anti-inflammatory benefits of bromelain.
Some have claimed that pineapple has benefits for some intestinal disorders while others claim that it helps to induce childbirth when a baby is overdue. These enzymes can be hazardous to someone suffering from certain protein deficiencies or disorders, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Pineapple is a good source of manganese, as well as containing significant amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin B1.
ii. Medicinal Uses:
The fruit, peel, or juice is used in folk remedies for corns, tumors, and warts. It is reported to be abortifacient, cholagogue, depurative, diaphoretic, digestive, discutient, diuretic, ecbolic, emmenagogue, estrogenic, hydragogue, intoxicant, laxative, parasiticide, purgative, refrigerant, styptic, and vermifuge, pineapple is a folk remedy for bladder ailments, hypochondria, scarlet fever, scurvy, sores, and sprains. An antiedemic substance has been reported from the rhizome.
Many real or imagined pharmacological effects are attributed to bromelain – burn debridement, anti-inflammatory action, smooth muscle relaxation, stimulation of muscle contractions, cancer prevention and remission (not recognized by NCI), ulcer prevention, appetite inhibition, enhanced fat excretion, sinusitis relief.
According to Morton, bromelain is given as an anti-inflammatory agent following dental, gynecological, and general surgery, and to treat abscesses, contusions, hematomas, sprains, and ulcerations.
Pineapple juice from unripe fruits acts as a violent purgative, and is also anthelmintic and ecbolic. Ripe fruit juice is diuretic, but in large doses may cause uterine contractions. Sweetened leaf decoction drunk for venereal diseases. Juice of the leaves consumed for hiccoughs, vermifuge, and as purgative. Juice of ripe fruit regarded also as antiscorbutic, cholagogic, diaphoretic, refrigerant, and useful in jaundice. Young vegetative buds are used for respiratory ailments among Choco children.
Workers who cut up pineapples have their fingerprints almost completely obliterated by pressure and the keratolytic effect of bromelain (calcium oxalate crystals and citric acid were excluded as the cause).