The use of pectinase in fruit juice production

... The use of pectinase in fruit juice production Introduction Pectinase is an enzyme which catalyses the breakdown of pectin in the cellulose cell wall in the plant cells. Pectin is a sticky polysaccharide which is embedded in the cell wall of the plant cells to hold cellulose together in place. It is the structural carbohydrate which gives the plant cell mechanical support and prevents the cell from bursting when water enters into the cell by osmosis. It is also insoluble due its structure and arrangement of its monomers which are simple sugars. The presence of pectin in the cellulose cell wall prevents the cell contents from leaving the cell. This minimises the yield of the fruit juice when the manufactures try to extract juice from fruit. Pectinase, like many enzymes, is a globular protein and its structure is maintained by hydrogen bonds, disulphide bridges and the ionic bond. Enzyme has a specific site

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