Pectinases are a group of enzymes that breaks down pectin, a polysaccharide found in plant cell walls, through hydrolysis, transelimination and deesterification reactions.
[1][2] Commonly referred to as pectic enzymes, they include pectolyase, pectozyme, and polygalacturonase, one of the most studied and widely used[citation needed] commercial pectinases.
If pectinase is boiled it is denatured (unfolded) making it harder to connect with the pectin at the active site, and produce as much juice.
Pectinase enzymes used today are naturally produced by fungi and yeasts (50%), insects, bacteria and microbes (35%) and various plants (15%),[4] but cannot be synthesized by animal or human cells.
[5] In plants, pectinase enzymes hydrolyze pectin that is found in the cell wall, allowing for new growth and changes to be made.
[6] Endo-polygalacturonase progresses through a reaction along the following pathway:[7] (1,4-alpha-D-galacturonosyl)n+m + H2O = (1,4-alpha-D-galacturonosyl)n + (1,4-alpha-D-galacturonosyl)m All pectinase enzyme structures include a prism-shaped right-handed cylinder made up of seven to nine parallel β-helices.