What is Pectinase?
Pectinase is a group of enzymes (including polygalacturonase and pectin lyase) that catalyze the breakdown of pectin, a structural polysaccharide found in plant cell walls. Industrially, it is used to clarify fruit juices, increase wine yield, and remove pith from citrus, typically derived from fungi like Aspergillus niger.
Everything You Need to Know
What is Pectinase used for?
Pectinase is mainly used to break down pectin in plant-based raw materials. In industrial processing, it is commonly applied to juice extraction and clarification, wine processing, and selected plant-based processing systems where viscosity reduction, better separation, and improved filtration are required.
Which industries can use Pectinase?
Pectinase is widely used in food and beverage processing, especially in fruit and vegetable juice, winemaking, and other plant-material processing applications. Depending on the enzyme type, it may also be used in non-food processes such as textile or fiber-related treatment.
How do I know if your Pectinase is suitable for my process?
Pectinase selection usually depends on your raw material, pH range, process temperature, treatment time, viscosity level, clarification target, and downstream process design. For B2B projects, it is best to match the enzyme to the actual application rather than choosing only by activity number.
Is your Pectinase suitable for juice clarification?
Yes. Pectinase is commonly used in juice processing to reduce viscosity, improve juice release, support clarification, and help filtration performance. Different raw materials may require different enzyme activity profiles and dosage recommendations.
Main Details:
How it Works: It breaks down pectin into smaller, soluble fragments, reducing viscosity and softening plant tissues.
Industrial Uses: Primarily used in juice, wine, and food processing to improve texture, enhance color extraction, and clarify liquids.
Optimum Conditions: Pectinase is most effective in acidic environments (pH4.0--5.5) and works best between18∘C and 40∘C, though some preparations are stable up to 61∘C.
Usage: For, say, clarifying citrus, a 1% concentration of liquid pectinase added to the juice, allowed to sit for 30–60 minutes, is recommended.
Storage: It is often hygroscopic and should be stored in a cool (2--8∘C), dry environment to maintain stability.
Function in Body: Pectinase is not synthesized by human or animal cells. Therefore, it does not have an innate role in human digestion, though it is used to process food before consumption.
Side Effects: While widely used in food processing, specific medical side effects of concentrated enzymes are not widely documented for consumption. It is commonly produced from Aspergillus niger and is largely considered safe for food industry applications.
ANALYTICAL RESULTS
| Test Item | Method / Ref. | Specification | Result | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identification | In-house ID / label claim | Pectinase | Conforms | Pass |
| Appearance | Visual | Tan to light tan free-flowing powder | Light tan powder | Pass |
| Enzyme Activity | Endo-polygalacturonase assay / supplier method | NLT 300 Endo-PG/g | 328 Endo-PG/g | Pass |
| Activity Unit Definition | Supplier-defined unit | Report only | Endo-PG/g reported | Pass |
| Odor & Taste | Organoleptic | Free of offensive odor and taste | Conforms | Pass |
| Solubility | Water solubility test | Soluble in water | Conforms | Pass |
| pH (1% solution) | pH meter | 3.0 – 5.5 | 3.9 | Pass |
| Loss on Drying | Gravimetric | ≤ 8.0% | 4.5% | Pass |
| Lead (Pb) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 5.0 mg/kg | 0.22 mg/kg | Pass |
| Arsenic (As) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 3.0 mg/kg | 0.11 mg/kg | Pass |
| Cadmium (Cd) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 0.5 mg/kg | < 0.05 mg/kg | Pass |
| Mercury (Hg) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 0.5 mg/kg | < 0.01 mg/kg | Pass |
| Total |
Production Process
