PRODUCTION OF PECTINASE FROM COFFEE PULP IN SOLID-STATE FERMENTATION SYSTEM - SELECTION OF WILD FUNGAL ISOLATE OF HIGH POTENCY BY A SIMPLE 3-STEP SCREENING TECHNIQUE

Screening of 248 cultures, isolated from Mexico's coffee growing areas , was carried out to select potent culture for production of pectinase from coffee pulp by solid state fermentation. A pectolytic strain of Aspergillus niger CH 4 was used as reference to evaluate the potential of the wild strains. The screening involved three simple and rapid st eps. The first step involved the qualitative evaluation of pectolytic activities of 248 fungal strains on a selective solid agar medium, whi le the second one consisted of the quantification of the pectolytic ac tivities of selected 13 isolates in a submerged fermentation medium, w ith pectin as the sole carbon source. The third step involved the assa y of four selected fungal isolates for their capacity to produce pecti nase from coffee pulp by solid state fermentation. Aspergillus niger V 22 B 35, a wild strain, was found to produce 4 times more pectinase t han the reference strain.