Screening of yeasts obtained from different fermented foods for their ability to produce pectinase

In the present study, Citrus pectin was used for the production of pectinase enzyme by yeast isolates using submerged fermentation. Fifty yeasts were isolated from different fermented foods and screened for their producing ability. Candida sp. OG2 and Candida tropicalis strain AUMC 10275 were the yeast isolates with the best potential of pectinase production. Fermentation parameters such as incubation period, pH, temperature, carbon and nitrogen source were optimized under submerged fermentation. The optimal conditions for pectinase production were found to be incubation time 48 hours, pH 6.0 and temperature 40°C. Citrus pectin best induced the production of pectinase while yeast extract/peptone (1:1) was the best source of nitrogen. Pectinase produced by Candida tropicalis strain AUMC 10275 was purified at 4.00 folds with a specific activity of 63.99 U/ml. The yeasts obtained from fermented foods have the ability to produce pectinase enzyme under optimized conditions and can be used for industrial purposes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3828648