Pectinase: A Useful Tool in Fruit Processing Industries

Abstract

Owing to increase in the demand of fruit juices and fruit products, it became an indispensable need for the fruit processing industries to improve the quality of the fruit juices in a cost effective manner. Enzymes, being the highly efficient biocatalysts, are used at different steps in the process of juice production. Pectinases are used for the clarification of the juice by breaking the polysaccharide pectin structure present in the cell wall of plants into galacturonic acid monomers. Pectin structure breakage facilitates the filtration process and it increases the total yield of juice. Visual acceptance of the juice by the consumers need better clarity and improved colour that remain stable even during cold storage of the product