Novel pectinase from Piriformospora indica, optimization of growth parameters and enzyme production in submerged culture condition

Abstract

Abstract Background Pectinases are one of the upcoming enzymes in food processing industries and they hydrolyze pectin substances. Objectives This study was done to examine the production of pectinase by Piriformospora indica in submerged fermentation (SmF) along with growth parameters. Materials and methods The fungus P. indica was cultured on Kafer medium supplemented with pectin for 0–12 days and fungus growth, number of spores, total protein content, and pectinase activity were investigated. Results Firstly, pectinase secretion by P. indica was confirmed by cup-plate assay. The maximum dry cell weight (10.21 g/L), growth yield (0.65 g/g), specific growth rate (0.56 day−1) and pectinase activity (10.47 U/mL) on pectin containing medium (P+) were achieved after 6 day of culture. In the case of pectin free medium (P−) all the parameters were less than P+ medium. The pectinase production by P. indica on P+ was 2.7 times higher than P−. The optimum pH and temperature for maximum polygalacturonase activity were 5 and 50°C, respectively. Conclusions For the first time, the work confirmed pectinase secretion by P. indica fungus and it could be a good source for pectinase production. Moreover, optimum pH 5, make it a potential candidate for future application in fruit juice industries.