Zeitschrift für Bioremediation und biologischen Abbau

Abstrakt

Pectinmethylesterase Production from mixed agro- wastes by Penicillium notatum NCIM. 923 in Solid-State fermentation

Soumi Gayen and Uma Ghosh

The enzyme pectinmethylesterase (PME; EC 3.1.1.11) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the methyl ester groups from pectin and has been found in plants as well as in pathogenic fungi and bacteria. PME is of significance to the citrus industry because it has been established as the causative agent for juice clarification and gelation of frozen concentrates. The fruit processing industries produce a large amount of waste material, which poses considerable disposal problems and ultimately leads to pollution. Dried citrus peel is rich in carbohydrates, proteins and pectin; pectin acts as the inducer for production of pectinolytic enzymes by microbial systems. Thus, in the present study, dried citrus peel and wheat bran was used as substrate for the production of pectin methyl esterase (PME; EC 3.1.1.11) by fungus Penicillium notatum . Maximum enzyme activity was obtained with 1:1(w/w) substrate ratio, which gives a solid mass of initial pH 5.5, when incubated at 30°C for 120 h at 1:1 (w/v) initial moisture content ratio under static condition.