Pectinolytic cocktail: Induced yield and its exploitation for lignocellulosic materials saccharification and fruit juice clarification

Bio-based natural macromolecules are primarily composed of complex polysaccharides that strengthen microbial growth for the production of industrially relevant enzymes. In this study, an initial range of natural materials was used as fungal growth and solid substrates for the support of enzyme production. After the stipulated fermentation time (72 h), a large quantity of pectinolytic cocktail complex, composed of polygalacturonase (PG), pectin lyase (PL), and pectin methylesterase (PME), was obtained. Following the initial solid substrate screening, the effects of the different parameters were optimized through response surface methodology (RSM) by adopting a central composite design (CCD) using the best-yielded material. The crude pectinolytic cocktail complex showed commendable results in the de-bittering of the investigated fruit juices. A considerable color and turbidity reduction from 100% to 45.0% and 32.5%, respectively, was recorded for apple juice. For orange juice, the color and turbidity significantly decreased by up to 38.2% and 31.6%, respectively. In conclusion, the maximum production of the pectinolytic cocktail complex in the presence of a cheaper substrate at a low concentration makes the enzyme useful for industrial sectors, especially in the juice industry.