پریسا فتحی رضایی

Pectinases are the growing enzymes of biotechnological sector, showing gradual increase in their market. These enzymes are ecofriendly tool of nature that are being used extensively in various industries like food industry; paper industry for bleaching of pulp and waste paper recycling; in the processing of fruit–vegetables, tea–coffee, animal feed; extraction of vegetable oil and scouring of plant fibres. Pectinases as a complex group of enzymes hydrolyze the pectin-containing substances. They have been used in several conventional industrial processes; including: juice, textile, plant fiber processing, tea, coffee and oil extraction. Fungal pectinases are among the most important industrial enzymes and are of great significance with wide range of industrial application [1-2]. Sugar-beet pulp (SBP), the main by-product of the sugar refining industry, is especially rich in pectin. In this investigation, we assayed effect of different temperature (30-90 °C) and pH (4-10) on pectinase activity from Piriformospora indica. First, P. indica was cultured on Kaefer medium supplemented with SBP powder and maintained at 30 °C under constant shaking conditions at 200 rpm on an Orbital shaker for 6 days. According to the results the optimum pH and temperature for pectinase activity was 6 and 40°C, respectively.