Description

ABSTRACT

The enzyme pectinases are key enzymes responsible for the breakdown of the long and complex molecules of pectin and depolymerizing them. The enzyme has diverse applications in the juice processing, maceration of tea leaves, retting fiber, pulp and paper industries, textile industries, processing of cotton fabric and in various biotechnological approaches. It is well known that a wide range of microbial species are good source of pectinase including bacteria viz. Clostridium sp. and Bacillus spp., yeast and a large number of filamentous fungi viz. Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, and Botrytis cinerea. The study was aimed to isolate some potential pectinase producer fungi and to check the effect of carbon and process parameters on the production of pectinase. In the present study, four Aspergillus spp. isolates recovered from rotten citrus fruit samples and have been designated as AS1, AS2, AS3 and AS4 respectively. All the 4 isolates were screened for pectinolytic activity and found positive with a zone of hydrolysis ranged from 2mm-4mm. AS1 shown maximum pectinolytic activity and was selected for pectinase production by the submerged method in molasses and orange peel powder supplemented with 1% NaCl at pH 5.5, temperature 30oC, with an incubation period of 72 hours has produced 242 IUmg-1 and 238.9 IUmg-1 protein respectively. From the above study, it can be concluded that molasses and orange peel powder supplemented with 1% NaCl at pH 5.5, temperature 30oC, and incubation period of 72 hrs produced maximum pectinase by the submerged method.

Keywords: Aspergillus, Enzyme, Enzymatic activity, Pectinase, Pectinolytic activity