Recombinant Enzymes Used in Fruit and Vegetable Juice Industry

Fruit and vegetable juices are among the most consumed liquids in the world with orange, apple, tomato and grape juices being some of the most popular. During juice extraction, the pectinase mixture is applied to the fruit pulp to degrade insoluble pectins in cell walls that hinder free flow of juice. Heterologous expression of eukaryotic pectinases in a prokaryotic host is a promising avenue to produce a single enzyme in large quantities. The extraction and clarification of most juices from fruits, such as apples, oranges and other citrus fruits are performed at temperatures ranging from 45°C–90°C and acidic pH conditions. Interest in cold-active α-amylases to be used in juice production along with cold-active pectinases has been growing due to their potential applicability in preventing microbial contamination and of decreasing energy usage. Cellulases and hemicellulases are two other component enzymes of the juice extraction cocktail, included to hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose molecules respectively, that give structural integrity to plant cells.