A two-pronged approach producing antimicrobial pectinases using Tangerine peel involves immobilizing bacterial cells

This study focused on the enhancement of pectinase production by microbial isolates, utilizing industrial waste such as tangerine peel, and improving isolate stability under various conditions. The aim was to reduce production costs, increase resistance of the production bacteria to environmental stress, and explore the potential of these pectinases as antimicrobial agents and for juice clarification. Out of ten isolates from honey, two were selected for their high pectinase production. These were identified as Bacillus proteolyticus and Bacillus siamensis by 16s RNA analysis. The cells were immobilized in Ca 2+ alginate beads. The yield from immobilized cells was 18.76 and 19.68 U/ml was slightly higher than the 17.30 and 18.97 U/ml for free cells. Of greater importance was the fact that immobilized cells could be reused for five cycles while maintaining full enzyme production. After seven cycles, production dropped to 85.33% and 77.16% of the initial level for the two isolates. The highest enzyme production was observed at 40-45°C and pH 7. Cell immobilization enhanced heat tolerance, with enzyme production continuing up to 50°C, whereas free cells lost productivity at higher temperatures. Immobilization also increased tolerance to alkaline pH. The presence of NaCl, CuSO 4, and MnSO 4 further boosted enzyme production. The study confirmed the effectiveness of both free and immobilized pectinases for juice clarification and their antimicrobial potential against selected pathogens. Supplementary Material File (pectinase final.doc) - Download - 4.20 MB Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 201views 104downloads Citations Download citation Eman A. Karam, Amira A. Gamal, Mohamed E. Hassan, et al. A two-pronged approach producing antimicrobial pectinases using Tangerine peel involves immobilizing bacterial cells. Authorea. 06 June 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174919906.66759304/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174919906.66759304/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.