Application of Bentonite and Charcoal for the Purification of Pectinases From <i>Aspergillus niger</i> ATCC 9642

The objective of the study was to concentrate and increase the purity of pectinases (exo-polygalacturonase-exo-PG, pectin methylesterase-PME, pectin lyase-PL) obtained from solid-state fermentation by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9642, using activated charcoal and active sodium bentonite. The chemical adsorbents were used at concentrations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 g/L to evaluate the efficiency of purification parameters (purification factor-PF and enzyme recovery-R) of pectinases (exo-PG, PME, and PL). When employing a concentration of 60 g/L of activated charcoal, a PF of 14.15 and 1.91 times and recoveries of 100% and 57% were obtained for exo-PG and PME, respectively. For PL, using a concentration of 40 g/L of activated charcoal, the maximum PF was 2.01 times and the recovery was 138%. With the use of active sodium bentonite (60 g/L), it was possible to obtain a PF of 4.20 times and a recovery of 139% for exo-PG, 2.2 times and 70% for PME, and 0.57 times and 48% for PL, respectively. Activated charcoal, especially at higher concentrations, showed the best results for exo-PG and PME, whereas active sodium bentonite excelled in the purification of exo-PG. The results reinforce the feasibility and efficiency of using chemical adsorbents in the precipitation, concentration, and recovery of pectinases, contributing to the production of enzyme preparations with higher purity and yield for industrial applications.