ENZYMATIC MACERATION OF VEGETABLES WITH PROTOPECTINASES

Protopectinases (PPases) are a heterogeneous group of enzymes that sol ubilize pectin from the insoluble protopectin in plant tissues by rest ricted depolymerization. Various PPases have been reported with differ ent pectin solubilizing activities depending on the substrate. We stud ied the macerating properties of some PPases on potato, carrot, garlan d chrysanthemum, garlic, ginger, spinach, and red pepper. Crude cultur e filtrate from Trichosporon penicillatum SNO-3, containing PPase-SE, was most effective for maceration of potatoes, and the PPase-B from Ba cillus subtilis IFO 12113 was most effective for carrots. Enzyme conce ntration, pH, reaction time, and rate of shaking affected the yield of single cells.