Question

A student tried to make Jell O Salad, she dissolves gelatin and sugar in hot water until it is completely dissolved. She added cut up fresh pineapple to the gelatin solution then

placed the container containing the gelatin and the pineapple in the fridge for a few hours. When she came back to check it, it was still in the liquid form (did not solidify), Explain why?

Answer 1

gelatin is a form of collagen which is made from polypeptides designed for structural strength and integrity. so the pineapple comes into play with an enzyme called bromelain. As a proteolytic enzyme it just cleaves off a certain susceptible part of the amino acid sequence of the collagen subunits. Thus, preventing reformation of collagenous polypeptides by breaking key bonds needed for collagen to form within the jell o. Hence it is still in the liquid form.