Which method has been reported as an enzymatic therapy to break down a bezoar?

Which method has been reported as an enzymatic therapy to break down a bezoar?

• A. Cellulase enzymatic therapy
• B. Cola
• C. Papain enzyme
• D. Surgical removal

Answer: (A)

Bezoars made from plant material (phytobezoars) are rich in cellulose, which is resistant to stomach acid. An enzyme that specifically breaks down cellulose, cellulase, can degrade those cellulose fibers, reducing the bezoar’s size and allowing dissolution or easier fragmentation by endoscopy. This enzymatic approach has been reported as a therapy for phytobezoars, making it a targeted option for the composition involved. Cola relies on acidity and physical effects rather than enzymatic digestion, so it isn’t an enzymatic treatment. Papain is a proteolytic enzyme that acts on proteins, not cellulose, so it wouldn’t effectively dissolve a cellulose-based bezoar. Surgical removal is invasive and mechanical, not enzymatic dissolution.

Bezoars made from plant material (phytobezoars) are rich in cellulose, which is resistant to stomach acid. An enzyme that specifically breaks down cellulose, cellulase, can degrade those cellulose fibers, reducing the bezoar’s size and allowing dissolution or easier fragmentation by endoscopy. This enzymatic approach has been reported as a therapy for phytobezoars, making it a targeted option for the composition involved. Cola relies on acidity and physical effects rather than enzymatic digestion, so it isn’t an enzymatic treatment. Papain is a proteolytic enzyme that acts on proteins, not cellulose, so it wouldn’t effectively dissolve a cellulose-based bezoar. Surgical removal is invasive and mechanical, not enzymatic dissolution.