Production of pectinolytic enzymes by fermentation: Effectiveness of the production method and downstream

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate enzymatic production and downstream methods from Bacillus sp. CH15 pectinolytic, for the enzyme preparation with potential application in winemaking. The production methods included: i) static cultures, using flasks of 1 L capacity incubated under controlled conditions; ii) semi-automatic laboratory bioreactor. The best results were obtained for the bioreactor culture, reaching a significantly higher biomass and rapid production of pectinolytic enzymes. Enzymatic concentration was carried out with a rotary evaporator under reduced pressure, and ultrafiltration was used as part of the downstream process, through a tangential filter with 10 KDa cut-off membranes. In this sense, ultrafiltration did not achieve suitable purification of the enzymes of interest, because large losses of enzymatic activity were observed during the process. Nevertheless, a product with 40% more enzymatic activity than the initial one was obtained by concentration, which would be appropriate for its potential application in the maceration and clarification of musts and wines.