What Is Wobenzym N?

Germany's Mucos Pharma markets Wobenzym N, a proprietary mix of enzymes involved in digestion and tissue repair, as a dietary supplement that reduces pain and inflammation, maintains respiratory and sinus health, and promotes circulatory and immune function. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not verified the safety and efficacy of Wobenzym N, but its active ingredients are known to play important roles in the human body.

Active Ingredients

• Wobenzym N tablets contain three pancreatic enzymes and three enzymes extracted from fruits and grains. The pancreatic enzymes are pancreatin, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Papain comes from papayas, and bromelain is a pineapple extract. Buckwheat provides the final active ingredient in Wobenzym N--rutoside trihydrate, which is also known as rutin.
  According to information available through the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Dietary Supplement Label Database, pancreatin, present in Wobenzym N at a dose of 100 mg per tablet, triggers digestion. The 24 mg of trypsin and 1 mg of chymotrypsin also play roles in digestion. Further, trypsin and chymotrypsin break down tissue within the body and smooth out, or debride, biological surfaces.
  Papain was long used in topical mixtures to clean dead skin from wounds, but the FDA never approved such products. The agency in November 2008 ordered drug makers to stop selling papain gels and ointments by January 21, 2009. A Wobenzym N tablet delivers 60 mg of papain.
  Mucos includes 45 mg of bromelain in each Wobenzym N tablet as an aid to respiratory and sinus health. The 50 mg of rutoside trihydrate per tablet is purported to strengthen veins.

Administration

• Mucos instructs adults to take three Wobenzym N tablets twice a day and at least 45 minutes before eating a meal. Healthcare providers may recommend another regimen.

Effects

• Two small European studies showed that Wobenzym N helped reduce pain and inflammation among patients who had tendon injuries and who had undergone breast cancer surgery. An article in the April 2000 issue of the Russian journal Klinicheskaia Khirurgiia reports that 28 patients who received Wobenzym N in addition to other therapies experienced "considerable anti-inflammatory" effects. Similarly, in 1996, Austrian researchers wrote in Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift that Wobenzym N outperformed a prescription diuretic for curbing edema (fluid collection) in cancer surgery patients' arms and for reducing patient-reported pain.
  A study reviewed as part of meta-analysis of alternative sinusitis therapies that was published in the Journal of Laryngology and Otology in August 2007 indicated that bromelain by itself provided more relief to children than either a standard treatment or a combination of the pineapple extract and the standard therapy.

Warnings

• The Wobenzym N label contains the following warning: "If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, suffering from bleeding disorders or liver damage, or if you are taking anticoagulant drugs (such as warfarin), consult a healthcare professional before using this product." In addition, the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition advises all consumers to consult their primary healthcare provider before using any dietary supplement to minimize the possibility of harmful interactions with prescription and nonprescription medications.

Availability

• Wobenzym N is available in 100-, 200-, 400- and 800-count bottles. Most tablets sold in the United States are manufactured in Pittsburgh, Pa., by a Mucos subsidiary formerly known as Douglas Labs. Most online health goods stores sell Wobenzym N.