INSIGHTS OF PECTINASE FROM FUNGISubhashini A., Shivani T.M. and Ranjani Priya S.Abstract The plantâs cell walls contain pectin, a gelatinous heteropolysaccharide that is integrated into the cell and other parts of the cell wall that allow cells to co-exist and are essential for plant growth. Enzymes called pectinase serves as an important agent in the breakdown of the components of pectin substances. Pectinase is used to degrade the pectin present in vegetables and thus helps to reinforce fruit juice extraction from fruits such as apples, tomatoes, and oranges. The current study aims to isolate, screen, and optimize the pectolytic enzyme from fungi of environmental samples. Twenty of the 25 isolates showed a zone of hydrolysis, indicating an organismâs ability to produce pectinase enzyme. By performing screening of pectinase, 80% of positive isolates were obtained, and these isolates were optimized to achieve high Pectinase production by carrying out various parameters such as pH, temperature, and carbon source, and it was found that pH 5, 30 oC and 2% of carbon source were found to be optimum for the production of pectolytic enzyme. The molecular weight of the isolated enzyme was estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and was determined to be approximately 66 kDa. |