Nattokinase is a proteolytic enzyme, 275-aa long, that belongs to subtilysins family (serine-proteases). It is found and isolated from Natto, a traditional japanese food characterized by marked health properties; Natto is derived from soy, fermented by bacterial micro-organism Bacillus subtilis Natto.

Scientific studies designed and sponsored by the leader producer company Japan Bio Science Laboratory (JBSL), also responsible for the original industrial development of this product, allowed to ascertain that well-known health properties of natto are related to the content in Nattokinase, which proved to be able to:

• degrade fibrin,  which is the protein that is responsible for blood clotting ending up in fluidification of blood circulation; decradation of fibrin by nattokinase is both direct responsibilty of proteolytic activity of the enzyme and indirectly promoted through the degradation of PAI-1 (inhibitor of activator of plasminogen, tPA) that ends with the activation of plasmin, the enzyme physiologically deputed to degradation of fibrin;
• reduce blood pression, through a specific action in the angiotensis/renin pathway.

Nattokinase NSK-SD® is an authorized food ingredient, since its approval in 2017 under Novel Food regulation; allowd dosage is 100 mg/day, corresponding to 2000 daily FU.