DIGESTIVE ENZYME MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2023 - 2030)

The Digestive Enzyme Market size is expected to reach US$ 1,354.2 Mn by 2030, from US$ 715.1 Mn in 2023, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% during the forecast period. Digestive enzymes are proteins that help to break down food substances like fats, proteins and carbohydrates into smaller molecules that can be absorbed by the body. They play a vital role in ensuring proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Rising health consciousness and growing awareness regarding gut health are driving the demand for digestive enzyme supplements and products.

The digestive enzyme market is segmented into source, application, type, form, distribution channel, and region. By source, the microbial enzymes segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Microbial enzymes are gaining traction due to their high stability and productivity as compared to plant and animal based enzymes.

Analysts’ Views on Global Digestive Enzyme Market:

The global digestive enzyme market is poised to witness steady growth over the forecast period owing to rising health consciousness among consumers and increasing gut-related issues. The growing awareness about relation between diet and gut health is prompting people to use digestive enzyme supplements to ensure proper nutrient absorption. Moreover, busy lifestyles and excessive consumption of processed foods that are harder to digest is fueling demand.

On the product side, carbohydrate enzymes are likely to remain the largest category supported by high intake of carbohydrate-rich foods. Amylase enzymes will be most sought-after due to their ability to break down complex starches and sugars. Protease and lipase enzymes are also gaining traction. Online retailers coupled with smart marketing campaigns of key players on social media will offer new opportunities over the coming years. However, availability of alternative medicines may pose a challenge.

Digestive Enzyme Market Regional Insights:

• North America is expected to be the largest market for digestive enzyme market during the forecast period, accounting for over 33.5% of the market share in 2023. The growth of the market in North America is due to the increasing health supplements industry, rising awareness regarding the benefits of digestive health, and new product launches.
• The Asia Pacific market is expected to be the second-largest market for digestive enzyme market, accounting for over 20.3% of the market share in 2023. The growth of the market in is due to the expanding supplement industry, large consumer base, and increasing investments by market players in the region.
• The Europe market is expected to be the fastest-growing market for digestive enzyme market, with a CAGR of over 10.4% during the forecast period. The growth of the market in Europe is due to the high demand for preventive healthcare products, established supplement industry, and growing geriatric population.

Figure 1.  Digestive Enzyme Market Share (%), By Region, 2023

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Digestive Enzyme Market Drivers:

• Growing health consciousness and gut health awareness: The growing focus on preventive healthcare and rising health consciousness among consumers is a major factor driving the growth of the digestive enzymes market. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of gut health and its impact on overall wellbeing. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in immune function, metabolism, vitamin synthesis and more. This has led to increasing demand for products that support digestive health and gut function. Consumer preference is shifting towards digestive supplements as a means of improving nutrient absorption, managing digestive disorders, and maintaining overall wellness. For instance, on August 31, 2023, Alcresta Therapeutics, Inc., a leading commercial-stage company focused on developing and commercializing novel enzyme-based products, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared expanded use of RELiZORB to children ages 2 to 5 years. RELiZORB is a digestive enzyme cartridge designed to mimic the function of pancreatic lipase.
• Increasing geriatric population and age-related digestive issues: The expanding geriatric population across the globe presents significant opportunities for the digestive enzymes market. Age-related digestive issues such as slower transit times, reduced stomach acid production, and decreased enzyme secretion lead to impaired digestion and nutrient absorption in the elderly. This drives the demand for digestive enzyme supplements to improve gut function. For instance, in October 2022, according to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2050, the world's population of people aged 60 years and older will be 2.1 billion. The rising susceptible aging population is expected to drive the adoption of digestive enzymes.
• Advancements in enzyme engineering technologies: Advances in biotechnology and enzyme engineering are enhancing the stability, specificity, and efficiency of digestive enzymes. The use of recombinant DNA technology and protein engineering has led to the development of improved enzyme formulations. Novel delivery mechanisms like enzyme microencapsulation are being used to protect enzymes from degradation. These advances are overcoming challenges like enzyme inactivation and are enabling the development of highly potent and targeted digestive enzyme supplements, thereby driving the market growth.
• Innovation in enzyme extraction processes: Manufacturers are developing innovative extraction and purification processes such as ultrafiltration, chromatography, and cold extraction to obtain enzymes in their most active forms. These advanced enzyme extraction techniques yield highly concentrated and purified enzyme formulations. Manufacturers are deriving enzymes from new sources such as fungi and yeast using fermentation technology. Such innovations in enzyme extraction and processing are improving enzyme quality and enabling the launch of novel products.

Digestive Enzyme Market Opportunities:

• Growing demand for plant-based and probiotic enzymes: The increasing consumer preference for plant-based and natural alternatives and increasing product launch presents significant opportunities for plant-derived digestive enzymes. Plant enzymes like papain, bromelain, aspergillopepsin are gaining traction due to their efficacy and safety. Growing research on probiotic bacteria as a source of digestive enzymes has expanded the application potential of probiotic enzymes. These possess added digestive and immune benefits. The development of plant-based and probiotic enzyme supplements catering to changing consumer preferences will widen market prospects. For instance, in June 2020, Enzymedica, a company that produces high quality natural digestive products, launched its new Kiwi Regularity chewable with 3X more enzyme activity for occasional constipation.
• Applications in food processing and animal feed: Enzyme usage in food processing for functions such as coagulation, tenderization, flavor enhancement, is fostering the growth of digestive enzymes in the food industry. Moreover, the supplementation of digestive enzymes in animal feed to boost nutrient absorption and gut health is gaining increasing traction. The growing use of enzymes for food quality enhancement and feed optimization will drive the market growth. For instance, on April 27 2023, according to a report published by National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Bromelain is widely used in the food industry for meat tenderization, baking, cheese processing, seafood processing, and others.

Digestive Enzyme Market Trends:

• Increasing investments and strategic partnerships: Leading manufacturers are extensively investing in research and development (R&D) activities focused on enzyme modification, novel delivery systems, expanded applications, to introduce innovative products catering to evolving consumer needs. A range of partnerships between pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies are being witnessed to leverage combined expertise for new product development and expand commercialization opportunities. For instance, on October 4, 2023, ATUM, a global specialist and industry leader in bioengineering solutions, announced an expanded partnership with Anagram Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, to develop orally delivered enzyme therapies for malabsorption and nutrient metabolism disorders. These strategic investments and partnerships are paving the way for market expansion.
• Rising demand for transparency and product personalization: Customers are increasingly seeking transparency regarding source, processing, quality, efficacy at the time of purchasing wellness supplements like digestive enzymes. To cater to this, manufacturers are providing extensive product information through digital platforms. For instance, Biotics Research Corporation, a nutrition company, has various digestive enzyme products for which detailed information is available on the website. Custom enzyme supplements that are based on individual symptoms and needs are gaining traction. Market players are providing questionnaires, expert consultations to create personalized enzyme formulations. These measures augment consumer trust and present growth scope.

Digestive Enzyme Market Restraints:

• High costs associated with enzyme extraction and processing: The complex process of deriving enzymes from plant and microbial sources requires substantial investments in technologies and infrastructure. The need for controlled conditions and multiple purification steps lead to high manufacturing costs which translate to premium pricing of final enzyme products. This can restrain adoption among low and middle-income consumer groups. Competitively priced synthetic enzyme alternatives also hamper uptake of natural enzymes.
• Side-effects and allergenicity concerns: Irrespective of being well-tolerated, digestive enzymes may cause mild side-effects like intestinal distress, nausea and diarrhea in some individuals which may limit adoption. For instance, on March 27, 2023, according to a report published by National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the most common adverse effects of pancrelipase which contains enzymes are headache, oral irritation, abdominal pain, lymphadenopathy, nasal congestion, and neck pain. There are also some concerns regarding the potential allergenicity of certain enzymes obtained from various organisms. These factors may make certain consumers apprehensive about long-term enzyme supplementation, thereby hindering the market expansion.

Counterbalance: The side-effects, like allergenicity, that are associated with the digestive enzymes needs to be controlled thus reducing the apprehensibility among the consumers regarding the long-term use of enzyme supplementation.

Figure 2.  Digestive Enzyme Market Share (%), By Source, 2023

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Recent Developments:

New product approvals:

• On September 5, 2023, SIG, a company that offers complete range of aseptic packaging, technology, services and solutions, and AnaBio Technologies, a specialist microencapsulation company, announced the global launch of a long-life probiotic yogurt – a major breakthrough for probiotic beverages and aseptic packaging
• In January 2021, Wellbeing Nutrition, a company that offers food supplements, including multivitamins, collagen, protein powder, and more, launched the plant-based and clinically-studied Probiotic + Prebiotic to answer all gut problems
• In February 2020, Vivus LLC., a drug-development company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for an improved formulation of PANCREAZE (pancrelipase) Delayed Release Capsules

Acquisition and agreements:

• In June 2021, Probi, a biotechnology company and Oriflame, a company that sells beauty and personal care products, have entered into agreement of a global launch of a probiotic supplement within general gut health
• In August 2020, Nestlé Health Science, a company that uses nutrition to help people manage their health, announced that the company agreed to acquire the business of IM HealthScience, a developer of healthcare products, along with its products that are indicated for dietary management of specific digestive problems

Top Companies in Digestive Enzyme Market:

• National Enzyme Company
• Garden of Life LLC
• Country Life LLC
• Rainbow Light Nutritional System Inc.
• Food State Inc.
• Matsun Nutrition
• Metagenics, Inc.
• TwinLab Corporation
• Abbott Nutrition
• Amway Corporation
• Klaire Labs
• Zenwise Health LLC
• Integrative Therapeutics, LLC
• Douglas Labs
• Enzymedica Inc.
• Thorne Research Inc.
• Pure Encapsulations, LLC
• Ortho Molecular Products Inc.
• Allergy Research Group
• Biotics Research Corp.

Definition: Digestive enzymes are a group of enzymes that break down polymeric macromolecules into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption into the cells of the body. Digestive enzymes are found in the digestive tracts of animals (including humans) and in the tracts of carnivorous plants, where they aid in the digestion of food, as well as inside cells, especially in their lysosomes, where they function to maintain cellular survival.