Microbiota-Derived Pectinase from Bombyx Mori for Enhanced Fruit Juice Clarification and Wine Quality Modulation

Abstract

Pectinases play a key role in fruit juice processing by degrading pectic substances responsible for turbidity and low juice yield. In this study, a partially purified pectinase derived from Bombyx mori gut microbiota was evaluated for juice clarification, yield enhancement, and wine quality improvement, and compared with commercial Aspergillus niger-derived pectinase, in free and immobilized (calcium alginate bead) forms on orange, grape, and pomegranate juices. Enzyme treatment improved juice yield and clarity in all three fruits, with the greatest gains at 1% enzyme concentration, and produced a concentration-dependent reduction in turbidity at 540 nm. The commercial enzyme achieved comparable clarification at considerably lower concentrations (0.12-0.4%) than the test enzyme. Immobilized pectinase retained increasing catalytic activity with higher enzyme loading and effectively clarified orange juice, although residual absorbance was slightly higher than with the free enzyme. In wine fermentation trials, pectinase treatment increased colour intensity and red pigment proportion while reducing hue, indicating enhanced anthocyanin extraction, with only marginal change in total phenolic content across treatments. These findings indicate that Bombyx mori gut microbiota-derived pectinase is a promising, sustainable biocatalyst for improving fruit juice quality and wine processing, with its performance depending on enzyme source, concentration, and immobilization strategy.