Everything about Pectinase totally explained
Pectinase is a general term for
enzymes that break down
pectin, a polysaccharide substrate that's found in the cell walls of
plants. One of the most studied and widely used commercial pectinases is polygalacturonase. It is useful because pectin is the jelly-like matrix which helps cement plant cells together and in which other cell wall components, such as cellulose fibrils, are embedded. Therefore pectinase enzymes are commonly used in processes involving the degradation of plant materials, such as speeding up the extraction of
fruit juice from
fruit, including
apples and
sapota. Pectinases have also been used in wine production since the 1960s. They can be extracted from fungi such as
Aspergillus niger. The fungus produces these enzymes to break down the middle lamella in plants so that it can extract nutrients from the plant tissues and insert fungal
hyphae. If pectinase is boiled it's denatured (distorted) making it harder to connect with the pectin at the active site, and produce as much juice.
Pectinases are also used for retting. Addition of chelating agents or pretreatment of the plant material with acid enhance the effect of the enzyme.
Optimum environment
As they're
enzymes, pectinases have an optimum temperature and
pH at which they're most active. For example, a commercial pectinase might typically be activated at 45 to 55 °C and work well at a pH of 4.0 to 5. Pectinases are useful in fruit juice industries...
Enzymes are biological catalysyts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering their activation energy.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Pectinase'.
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