Role of Enzymes in Fruit juices Clarification during Processing: A review

Abstract

Consumption of natural fruit juice as an alternative to the traditional caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea or carbonated soft drinks has increased in recent years very promptly which endeavour to promote and improve its production to be competitive for both domestic demand and export markets. Enzyme is an essential tool in juice processes, both in terms of quality improvement and cost saving. These can be obtained from plants, animals and microorganisms. However, enzymes from fungal and bacterial sources have dominated applications in industrial sectors. Fruit and vegetable juice production is nowadays unthinkable without the use of enzymes. The degradation of plant cell walls by enzymatic treatment results is easier release of the components contained in cells. The cloudiness in the juices is mainly caused by the presence of polysaccharides such as pectin and starch. Commercial pectic enzymes and other enzymes like amylases, cellulases, glucose oxidase etc. are now an integral part of fruit juice technology. They are used to extract, clarify, and modify juices from many fruits including berries, stone, and citrus fruits, grapes, apples, pears. Therefore, enzymatic treatment is an effective way to reduce the cloudiness in the fruit juices.