Bromeliad Brocchinia reducta, a rare carnivorous monocot, is a holocarnivorous plant secreting its own digestive enzymes.

Prey feeding in the carnivorous bromeliad Brocchinia reducta triggers active pH regulation and secreted hydrolytic enzymes, including aspartic protease, chitinases, and a GDSL hydrolase.

• Why it matters: The key gap is whether this rare, distantly related monocot truly secretes digestive enzymes or depends on microorganism-mediated digestion.
• What they did: They measured enzyme activity and used LC-ESI-MS/MS to track digestive responses after feeding, focusing on prey-induced changes and secreted enzyme identities.
• The result: Secreted enzymes and an active prey response place B. reducta among truly holocarnivorous plants, implying nutrient-poor conditions can select for convergent digestive proteins.

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