Microbial pectinases: Wonderful enzymes in fruit juice clarification

Microbial pectinases has been employed vigorously for the juice clarification since recent times. The juice clarification procedures carried out in industries mainly involve bio-catalyzed depectinization and fining by incorporation of pectinases to achieve pectin degradation. Pectins are fibrelike structure which makes the clarification process more complicated. Pectinases are enzymes which degrade these pectins and cause the flocculation of pectin protein complexes. The resulting juice will be less viscosity and minimal amount of pectin that is suitable for subsequent filteration process. Microbial pectinases are more advantageous over other ultrafilteration and other chemical process that it can be produced by valorization of fruit peels which makes the process costeffective, eco-friendly and also it provides remarkable results. This study mainly concerned about the utilization of pectinase enzyme in various fruit juice clarification and improvement in the characteristics of fruit juices, techniques and statistical methods for the optimization of the clarification process of various juices had been highlighted. Moreover, among pectinolytic microbes actinomycetes have ample scope in juice clarification process in near future.