Production and Characterization of Pectinase from Pectinolytic Fungi Cultivated on Mango peels and Pectin Subjected to Submerged Fermentation

Pectinases are the group of enzymes that degrade pectin. This study was conducted with the aim of isolation of efficient pectinase producing pectinoloytic fungi from the decaying vegetable and fruit soil containing decomposing mango peels using extracted mango peels pectin as a growth substrate under submerged fermentation, determining optimum pectinase production conditions and characterizing of ammonium sulphate precipitated pectinase activity with regards to some physicochemical parameters. Value addition to wastes generated from consumption and processing of mango fruits was achieved by extraction of pectin from the waste peels. The organisms were screened for the production of the Pectinase enzyme using Pectin agar media, and the two active pectinolytic fungi (P1 and P2) were isolated. Pectinase Production media was later used for the Lab scale production of Pectinase enzyme by inoculating p1 and p2 and incubating for 7 days. The enzyme was extracted after seven days of fermentation and every day tested for their pectinolytic activity. P2 showed relatively higher pectinolytic activity and was therefore used for further studies. P2 was inoculated into a broth containing mango pectin under submerged fermentation system. Crude enzyme obtained from P2 was precipitated with 80% ammonium sulphate saturation. The enzyme thus produced was assayed and compared with the before ammonium sulphate precipitate pectinase. Results indicate that at pH 2.2, a pectin yield of 17.75% was obtained from mango peels at 70 0C. Different parameters optimization processes were investigated on submerged fermentation namely pH, incubation period, temperature and substrate concentration optima were found to be 6, 4 days, 35 0C and 1.5% respectively for pectinase production. The precipitated pectinase was characterized and exhibited maximum activity at 40 0C of temperature, reaction time at 35 min, substrate concentration at 25 mg/mL and optimum pH of 5.0. The result suggests that mango peels have high pectin content and can be used for the valueadded synthesis of pectinase, an important with numerous biotechnological applications.