Pectinase production from citrus waste

Pectinases are enzymes of high commercial value and high application in the food industry. In our country there are no enzyme producing plants, and these are distributed by a limited number of foreign commercial houses, which quote their products in general at prices not accessible to the national industry. For this and other reasons, the need to develop industrial biotechnology in our environment is seen, in order to access such used technologies. The general objective of this work is to establish the feasibility of production of pectinases of fungal origin from citrus waste. To do this, we will work in a period of 12 months. The industrial microorganism Trichoderma Aureoviride 7-121 will be used. Work will begin with the study at the level of flashes to determine the most appropriate composition of the culture medium. The experiences will then be carried out in the laboratory fermenter that has a capacity of 10 liters; Here the operational conditions required to maximize production will be determined, while an appropriate technology for extraction and purification of enzymes will be established. With the experimental work, the following hypothesis will be known or false: it is possible to produce enzymes with a high pectoletic activity using an auoviride trichoderma strain in a culture medium designed with citrus waste. It will be obtained as a microbial biomass byproduct, which will be processed, analyzed and used as an animal food enriching. The analytical techniques used will be the most recommended in literature by scientists of the highest level. The results will be processed and analyzed, with them a pectinase production plant will be designed and evaluated.

1st UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PROJECT COMPETITION