Microbial Pectinase from Fruit Peel Wastes

Pectionlytic bacterial and fungal cultures were isolated from fruit peel wastes. Bacterial cultures were identified as Bacillus sp. & Pseudomonas sp. & the fungal cultures were identified as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus & Penicillium chrysogenum. All the bacterial and fungal cultures were found to produce appreciable level of pectinolytic enzyme viz., pectin esterase and pectate lyase. Among the different levels of pectin tested, all the cultures recorded maximum pectinase activity at 1 % pectin concentration. At 1 % pectin concentration, the bacterial isolates Pseudomonas sp. & Bacillus sp. exhibited higher pectin esterase activity. At one percent pectin level, the fungal isolate Aspergillus niger recorded maximum pectin esterase & Penicillium chrysogenum recorded maximum pectate lyase activity. Under submerged fermentation, the fungal isolate Aspergillus flavus recorded higher pectin esterase & pectate lyase. Addition of ammonium nitrate increased the production of pectinases from fruit peel wastes. Pectinase production from fruit peel was higher in solid state fermentation than in submerged fermentation and Aspergillus performed better than other organisms.