Pectinolytic enzymes, collectively known as pectinases, constitute a major class of industrial biocatalysts with extensive applications in food processing, textiles, paper and pulp, bioenergy, and waste management. These enzymes are widely employed in fruit juice clarification, wine stabilization, textile bioscouring, coffee and tea fermentation, paper pulping, and the bioconversion of agro-industrial residues into value-added products. Microorganisms serve as the most efficient and economical source of pectinases due to their rapid growth, extracellular enzyme secretion, and ease of genetic and process optimization. Recent advances emphasize sustainable and large-scale production strategies, including the use of low-cost agro-waste substrates, optimized fermentation systems, and bioreactor-based processes. This review integrates the comprehensive information on the isolation, screening, and characterization of pectinolytic microbial strains, highlighting methodological approaches, microbial diversity, enzyme assays, and industrial relevance, while providing a coherent framework for identifying strains suitable for commercial exploitation.
Chaudhary et al. (Thu,) studied this question.