Comparison of Optimal Fungal Pectinase Activities Using the Box-Behnken Design

Abstract

Pectinases are enzymes that catalyze pectin by hydrolysis and de-esterification to its simpler units. 1,2 Pectinase is reported to make up about 25 % of the global food market for enzymes, hence its importance. 3,4 The importance of this class of enzymes is mainly due to its benefits in the food industry 1 , in textile, treatment of industrial wastes, oil extraction, among other areas. 3,5,6 The significance of pectinase is in its degradation of agro wastes containing pectin, a component of the plant cell wall agricultural wastes; as pectinase and cellulase have been used singly and in combination for tomato waste treatment. 7,8 Various microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi have been reported to produce pectinase. 9,10,11 Also, many substrates have been employed for pectinase production, with variations in the activities of the enzyme produced. 10,12,13 Pectinolytic fungi in controlled environments are easy to grow; hence, their application in large-scale production of the enzyme. 14 Pectinase optimizations have been undertaken in many studies by using one factor at a time (OFAT) and the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) methods. 10,15 Pectinase optimization processes are undertaken to improve the activity of the enzyme 1,10,16

Pectin classifications, mode of action and factors influencing pectinase production

“…A common method of screening for pectinolytic microorganisms based on the zone of clearance has been the preferred method of choice. A variety of modifications to the method have been employed; of which, recent studies were based on the microbial ability of each isolate to form a zone of hydrolysis or clearance before its molecular identification [66][67][68][69][70]. Before the microbial screening for confirming pectinase secretion potential, the microorganisms are usually isolated from the environment using also simple microbiology techniques, where an environment containing the deteriorated substrates (pectins) is carefully collected and transported to the laboratory for isolation of the variety of microorganisms present.…”