Use of Citrus limetta peels for pectinase production by marine Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of locally available pectin rich Citrus limetta peels as a substrate for pectinase production by marine Bacillus subtilis in submerged fermentation (SmF). The marine Bacillus subtilis strain used in this study was isolated from marine sediment sample collected from Chinchani beach, India. Citrus limetta peels was selected as one of the main constituent in medium formulation for extracellular pectinase production as they are pectin rich and easily available. Different physical and biotechnological parameters such as incubation time, temperature, pH, substrate concentration and nitrogen source, were optimized. The enzyme is maximally produced in late exponential phase of the growth of the culture during submerged fermentation after 28 hours in medium containing Citrus limetta peel powder (3%).The pectinase activity was found to be maximum when pH of medium containing Citrus limetta peels was 5.0 at 40°C.