Abstract
Microbial enzymes have shown tremendous potential for different applications. Over the years due to their remarkable features enzymes have occupied the centre stage of all the biochemical and industrial processes. Pectinases are a group of enzymes responsible for the hydrolysis of pectic materials found in plants and are important industrial enzymes. In the present study, pectinase is produced from Bacillus sp. that was isolated from vegetable waste dump soil samples. A total of five isolates showed pectinase production and designated as PPB1 to PPB5. The screened isolates were used as a source of pectinase production using cassava waste as a substrate. Isolate PPB5 showed maximum enzyme activity of 0.641 IU/ml. Pectinase activity was optimized for various parameters like incubation time, temperature, pH, different carbon and nitrogen sources. Enzyme activity was observed maximum at 96 hr of incubation, 35°C temperature and at pH 6. The best carbon was found to be glucose. Among organic and inorganic nitrogen sources yeast extract and ammonium nitrate was founded to be better than other nitrogen sources. Among the five isolates, the isolate PPB5 showed maximum activity at all optimum conditions. This isolate is best producer and can be used in future for further pectinase production.
