PRODUCTION, OPTIMIZATION, PURIFICATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF STREPTOMYCES PECTINASE FOR AGRICULTURAL WASTE DEGRADATION: AN IN VITRO AND IN SILICO STUDY

The agricultural and fruit vegetable sector generate a significant amount of waste, especially in industrialized countries where overproduction and quality standards lead to waste before reaching consumers.Fruit and vegetable waste poses a challenge due to their large quantities and biodegradability.This study identified bacteria capable of producing pectinase enzymes to break down waste-derived pectin and convert it into biofertilizer.Nineteen bacteria were isolated from agricultural soil and fruit dump wastes, with Streptomyces coelicolor FMA18 exhibiting the highest pectinase activity.The optimal conditions for pectinase production were determined as 30C and pH 7, in a medium containing citrus pectin and yeast extract.Molecular docking of pectin and pectinase was carried out with Autodock Vina, followed by a 100 ns Molecular Dynamics simulation (MDS) to confirm the stability of the protein-ligand complex.Analysis of the MDS data indicated that ionic, hydrogen, and hydrophobic bonds were the primary interactions between the ligands and the protein.