| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 287-1 | ||||
Resumo:The increasing application of enzymes in industries is due to the high specificity, stability and agility in processes using enzymes, in addition to representing a less aggressive option to the environment compared to non-biological alternatives, such as toxic chemical agents. Pectinases play a fundamental role in this context, degrading the pectin present in cereals, fibers, fruits and vegetables. Among the producers of pectinases, the species of the genus Aspergillus sp. stand out, therefore these filamentous fungi are widely used for studies with pectinases. In the juice production sector, where pectin-rich fruits can cause high viscosity and turbidity, pectinases are mainly applied in the clarification step. The action of pectinases reduces the pulp viscosity, facilitating the filtration process, consequently improving the clarity and yield of the final product. Therefore, the use of pectinases can play an important role in the food industry, allowing the production of clearer and better quality juices, while optimizing production processes and contributing to a more sustainable approach. Aspergillus japonicus produced pectinases using passion fruit peel, a wastes/agro-industrial product through solid-state cultivation (SSC), making the production cheaper. The biochemical characterization of the pectinase from A. japonicus showed that the enzyme tolerates acidic pHs and high temperatures for its activity. Pectinase was stable for 4 h at all tested pH, and maintained 88%, 84%, and 72% of its activity at pH 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0, respectively, after 24 h. A. japonicus pectinase was superior to the commercial pectinase (Pectinex) in clarification of almost all the fruits tested. Pectinase application achieved the best clarification in mango (Haden) pulps (85.56%), whereas Pectinex only clarified 50.89%. Moreover, in apple (Argentina), A. japonicus pectinase showed 66.32% clarification, whereas Pectinex only showed 12.67% clarification. Furthermore, in apple (Europe), banana “da terra”, mango (Palmer), and white guava, A. japonicus pectinase showed 52.59%, 49.04%, 46.7%, and 46.4% clarification, respectively, whereas Pectinex showed lower or significantly similar results with 13.34%, 38.29%, 49.3%, and 33.6% clarification, for the same pulps, respectively. The mango pulp clarification results can be observed in the figure of the clarification obtained on treatment with A. japonicus pectinase compared to the control. Pectin degradation in mango pulp was also observed under the microscope, where a reduction in this polysaccharide was observed when treated with pectinase. The clarification peak was reached after 2 h of incubation, when 48.7% (50 °C) and 43.4% (40 °C) clarification was achieved, with no increase after 4 h of incubation. Different concentrations of A. japonicus pectinase were tested in mango juice for 4 h at 40 and 50 °C. An increase in the amount of enzyme resulted in an increase in the clarification percentage, reaching 41.9% at an enzyme concentration of 3 U/mL. Therefore, the use of pectinases can play an important role in the food industry, allowing the production of clearer and better quality juices, while optimizing production processes and contributing to a more sustainable approach. Palavras-chave: pectinases, fruit juice clarification, Aspergillus japonicus Agência de fomento:CNPq e CAPES | |||||