Industrial Applications of Pectinases

Abstract

Application of pectinases in the commercial sector has been employed for nearly a century and due to the wide range of functions that these enzymes can work for, are making them critically important from industrial point of view. Pectinases are used in the industry on their role in the degradation of pectic substances aiding and enabling in overcoming the problems faced during the processing of purees, coffee and tea fermentation, fruit juices and in other food industry related manufacturing procedures. They break down the pectin content in the plants converting them to simpler molecules of galacturonic acid. The pectinases not only help in the food industry but also have remarkable applications in the textile, including retting, degumming, bio-scouring, maceration of plant tissues, paper making, and also has role in waste water treatment. Some of the roles of these pectinases solely and in conjunction with other enzymes e.g., amylases, xylanases, cellulases etc. have been comprehensively summarized in this review.